Delivery room errors can result in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, which is a serious type of brain injury in newborns caused by oxygen deprivation. If your child has suffered HIE, and you believe medical negligence could have played a role, an Atlanta, GA birth injury attorney can review your case and give you an experienced opinion.
Delivery Room Errors That Can Lead to HIE
Failure to Monitor Fetal Heart Rate
Nurses and doctors should monitor your baby’s heart rate patterns throughout labor, and certain patterns like late decelerations, variable decelerations, or a flat baseline can signal that the baby is not getting enough oxygen.
But if the monitor is placed incorrectly or the staff ignore warning signs, oxygen levels can drop for too long, and the reduced blood flow will starve the brain of oxygen, setting off the cascade that leads to HIE. Studies show that improper interpretation of fetal heart tracings is a frequent factor these cases.
Delays in Performing an Emergency C-Section
Sometimes labor stops progressing safely, or there are sudden complications, and an emergency cesarean section is often the fastest way to deliver the baby before brain damage occurs. But delays can happen when the medical team underestimates the urgency, stops too long waiting for additional tests, or simply does not have an operating room ready.
Mismanagement of Labor-Inducing Medications
Certain medications can strengthen contractions and speed up delivery, but too much can cause uterine hyperstimulation. When the uterus contracts almost nonstop, the placenta does not have time to refill with oxygen-rich blood between contractions.
Improper Use of Delivery Tools
When labor stalls in the second stage, doctors sometimes reach for vacuum extractors or forceps to assist in the delivery. These tools require skill to use and precise timing to apply. If they’re applied with too much force, at the wrong angle, or for too long, they can compress the baby’s head and neck vessels, further cutting off blood flow to the brain.
Failure to Address Umbilical Cord Complications
The umbilical cord can prolapse, which means it essentially slips ahead of the baby, or it can become compressed during labor. This cuts off the baby’s blood supply instantly, and the standard response should be an immediate C-section or manual relief of the pressure followed by rapid delivery.
If the team does not recognize the prolapse, fails to elevate the baby’s head, or delays moving mom to the operating room, the baby can suffer profound oxygen.
Your Atlanta, GA Birth Injury Attorney
Your birth injury lawyer can help by looking for gaps between what the standards of care required and what actually happened in your delivery room. HIE does not always mean malpractice, but when clear errors line up with the injury timeline, it often does.
If your family has been affected by HIE, reach out to LawMD Chartered in Atlanta or Washington, DC for a free case evaluation. Our team of attorneys are also physicians, so we understand the medicine from the inside. We’ll fight for the answers and support your child needs.
Connect with us
