Danbury Infant Anemia Misdiagnosis Lawsuits

In the first hours and days of an infant’s life, many seemingly small medical issues can be significant problems that require considerate and proactive care. Fortunately, the vast majority of healthcare providers who work in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and who care for newborns in any capacity perform their jobs with the diligence and skill all their patients deserve. Unfortunately, the few providers who act negligently may wind up causing immense and sometimes irreversible harm to patients.

Failure to identify and appropriately treat anemia in newborns and infants is a particularly dangerous type of medical negligence that affects far too many families across the country each year. If your child sustained harm under circumstances like this, do not wait to get in contact with a legal professional. The birth injury attorneys at Berkowitz Hanna can help you explore your options regarding a Danbury infant anemia misdiagnosis lawsuit.

What Causes Anemia in Newborns?

Anemia is a medical condition that entails someone having a lower red blood cell count in their circulatory system than they should, resulting in a lack of oxygenated blood around the body. Anemia may take various forms with varying degrees of severity, such as:

  • Aplastic anemia, which involves the body no longer producing new red blood cells as it should
  • Sickle cell anemia, which entails some red blood cells not forming properly and dying more quickly than they should
  • Iron deficiency anemia, in which red blood cells being unable to carry oxygen properly because of a lack of iron
  • Thalassemia, a genetic disorder which causes a hemoglobin deficiency
  • Vitamin deficiency anemia, which is similar to iron deficiency anemia but stems from a lack of folate and/or vitamin B-12

Infants in particular may struggle with anemia because of physiological trouble producing red blood cells early in their life, a mismatch between their blood type and their mother’s, blood tests needed for NICU care, or premature birth. In newborns, this condition is characterized by sluggishness, fatigue or other difficulties during feeding, unusually rapid resting heart rate or breathing, and pale skin. A Danbury provider who fails to identify and treat these symptoms could face legal repercussions via an infant anemia misdiagnosis suit.

Possible Grounds for an Infant Anemia Misdiagnosis Claim

The expected level of care based on past experience and expertise—or in legal terms, the “standard of care”—for doctors taking care of newborn babies includes awareness of the symptoms and risks of anemia in newborns, as well as of appropriate blood testing procedures to identify infant anemia. A doctor who fails to perform testing when appropriate or who negligently misinterprets test results may subsequently misdiagnose the infant’s condition. This constitutes a violation of the applicable standard of care if it directly leads to that infant suffering avoidable harm.

A comprehensive lawsuit based on an infant’s anemia misdiagnosis in Danbury may allow recovery for all economic and non-economic forms of harm sustained by an infant and their family because of a doctor’s misconduct. Potential compensable losses include past and future medical expenses, lost future earning capacity, lost quality of life, physical pain, and emotional trauma. An experienced lawyer can discuss potential grounds for litigation and compensable losses in more detail during a free case consultation.

Speak with a Danbury Attorney About a Possible Infant Anemia Misdiagnosis Lawsuit

Failure to appropriately diagnose and treat anemia in infants can have dire consequences that may persist for the rest of that child’s life. Because of that, it may be vital to demand fair financial restitution for various short-term and long-term damages if a doctor’s negligent misdiagnosis directly allows this condition to go untreated for an unreasonable amount of time.

Danbury infant anemia misdiagnosis lawsuits are complex. Let a dedicated member of the Berkowitz Hanna legal team take the lead on your case so that you can focus on what matters– your family. Call us today to get started.