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The hours and days following childbirth are very sensitive for a mother and her newborn baby. Because of this, medical issues or injuries sustained postpartum can have inflated consequences that may affect the rest of an infant’s life. Among the many harmful conditions that medical professionals should know how to identify and promptly treat in newborns is jaundice, which can be extremely dangerous if ignored or misdiagnosed.
If a doctor’s failure to properly treat this condition caused your baby avoidable harm, a Danbury infant jaundice malpractice lawyer can help. A dedicated birth injury attorney at Berkowitz Hanna can pursue the restitution your family deserves through a comprehensive civil claim.
Jaundice is a condition that can stem from a few different sources, such as liver disease or liver problems, bile duct obstruction, or other issues related to the process and breakdown of red blood cells. This diagnosis leads to an unhealthy buildup of a pigment called bilirubin in the blood, causing a noticeable yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Infants—especially those born prematurely—are particularly susceptible to developing jaundice as their bodies produce excessive bilirubin despite their liver’s inability to process it effectively. Therefore, it is standard practice for medical professionals in hospitals and similar facilities to examine newborns for signs of jaundice before discharging them. Treatment of this condition, when correctly identified, is generally simple and has a high rate of success.
However, if doctors negligently fail to identify and effectively treat infant jaundice, the condition can worsen and result in long-term harm such as deafness, seizures, cerebral palsy, and other cognitive dysfunctions. A Danbury lawyer could help a family connect their infant’s symptoms to a medical professional’s failure to diagnose an instance of jaundice. Accomplishing this would increase the chances of collecting substantial compensation through a claim.
Failing to recognize the symptoms of jaundice is not the only way a healthcare provider’s negligence may cause an infant with jaundice to suffer avoidable harm. Even if jaundice is accurately diagnosed, ineffectively treating the condition could constitute legally actionable negligence, especially if improper care allows the illness to worsen in preventable ways.
Additionally, during follow-up appointments, failing to confirm that an infant’s bilirubin levels are decreasing could also serve as grounds for a jaundice malpractice claim. A Danbury attorney can assess a physician’s actions to determine whether the circumstances allow for a settlement demand or an infant jaundice malpractice lawsuit.
While any undiagnosed medical condition can have severe repercussions for an infant, failure to treat jaundice quickly and effectively can be debilitating. Jaundice is relatively easy to treat, as long as your child’s doctor acts with reasonable consideration and care. Therefore, it can be devastating to discover your physician did not operate according to an accepted standard of care.
In a situation like this, support from a dedicated Danbury infant jaundice malpractice lawyer could be vital in protecting your child. Call Berkowitz Hanna today to get started.
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