San Antonio Birth Asphyxia Attorney
As your San Antonio birth asphyxia attorney, we are here to help if your child suffered birth asphyxia injuries or other birth injuries during labor and delivery. At Janicek Law, our birth injury lawyers take on medical malpractice cases involving birth asphyxia and other complications that arise during the birthing process.
Our birth injury lawyers understand how medical malpractice can cause permanent injuries and lifelong consequences for your child, and our law firm works to help you seek recovery for medical bills and future costs. Our team reviews medical records, holds negligent medical professionals accountable, and fights for clients through birth injury claims.
Our medical malpractice attorneys handle birth asphyxia cases on a contingency fee basis, so parents or guardians don’t owe any legal fees unless we’re successful with their birth injury claims.
Call 210-366-4949 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a skilled San Antonio birth asphyxia lawyer.
What is Perinatal Asphyxia?
Perinatal asphyxia happens from a lack of oxygen during or right after birth. Complications of perinatal or birth asphyxia include issues such as brain damage, developmental delays, weak muscle tone, seizure disorders, and even permanent injuries.
Perinatal asphyxia is also one of the leading causes of conditions like cerebral palsy and neonatal encephalopathy. It often occurs due to umbilical cord problems, placental abruption, or delayed responses from the medical team during the birthing process.
Signs of birth asphyxia include a low heart rate, abnormal blood pressure, or respiratory distress in the baby.
If your newborn suffered birth asphyxia injuries because of medical malpractice, a San Antonio birth asphyxia lawyer from our law firm can help you file a birth injury claim to seek compensation for medical bills, physical therapy, lost wages, and other future costs.
Contact a birth injury lawyer at Janicek Law for a free consultation.
Types of Birth Asphyxia
Perinatal asphyxia can occur in several forms, each one affecting the baby’s body differently. The four main types of birth asphyxia include:
Acute Birth Asphyxia
Acute Birth Asphyxia
Acute asphyxia refers to sudden oxygen deprivation that happens quickly during labor and delivery. This can be caused by umbilical cord issues, placental abruption, prolonged labor, or a medical professional failing to respond to signs of fetal distress. Acute asphyxia can cause respiratory distress, and the baby’s heart rate may be dangerously low. These factors could lead to a low Apgar score.
When acute birth asphyxia occurs, immediate neonatal care may be required to restore oxygen levels and prevent permanent injury to the baby’s brain. If a medical professional fails to recognize the signs of birth asphyxia, this is typically considered medical malpractice.
Chronic Birth Asphyxia
Chronic asphyxia happens when a baby experiences a gradual lack of oxygen over time, often caused by restricted blood flow from the placenta or untreated maternal health conditions. If a doctor fails to address these problems during pregnancy or fails to recognize the signs of birth asphyxia , the risk of serious complications is increased. This type of perinatal asphyxia can lead to developmental delays, permanent brain damage, and lifelong consequences for your child.
Intrapartum Asphyxia
Intrapartum asphyxia occurs during labor or delivery, usually due to prolonged labor or shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s shoulder becomes stuck in the birth canal. This lack of oxygen can increase the risk of serious conditions like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which requires medical professionals to intervene immediately. When a baby suffers from intrapartum asphyxia from these complications, families may have the option to file a shoulder dystocia claim in San Antonio. Our birth asphyxia lawyers in San Antonio can provide legal assistance to help you prove that medical malpractice led to your child’s injuries.
Neonatal Asphyxia
Neonatal asphyxia happens when a baby doesn’t get enough oxygen right after they’re born, often due to respiratory distress. This can cause the baby’s blood pressure to be dangerously low and increase the risk of a brain injury if medical professionals don’t act quickly. When babies experience birth asphyxia, they often need mechanical ventilation or oxygen therapy to stabilize their condition and prevent long-term effects. Failure in any of these steps can be considered medical malpractice.
Birth Asphyxia and HIE
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition caused by a lack of oxygen and blood flow to a baby’s brain, often linked to asphyxia.
A premature birth can put the child at a higher risk because their brain and blood vessels are still developing, making them more vulnerable. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is classified into three HIE stages based on the severity of the infant’s neurological symptoms.
If your child’s HIE birth injuries could be caused by medical negligence, a San Antonio HIE Lawyer can help you pursue legal compensation.
Birth Asphyxia Long-Term Effects
When a child experiences birth asphyxia, the lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain can cause long-term effects that may impact their quality of life.
Our San Antonio birth asphyxia lawyers most commonly see the following long-term effects:
Blindness and Eye Injuries
Oxygen deprivation often causes blindness or eye injuries because the brainstem and visual cortex—the parts of the brain responsible for eyesight—are damaged.
If your child’s birth asphyxia caused visual impairments, our San Antonio eye injury lawyers can review medical records and help file a birth injury claim to hold the responsible medical professional liable and recover compensation for your child’s treatment and care.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is the most well-known disorder caused by brain damage from oxygen deprivation for babies, leading to challenges with muscle tone, and typically requires lifelong medical care.
Our San Antonio cerebral palsy lawyers can help you file a birth asphyxia claim if your child suffered birth asphyxia injuries, resulting in a cerebral palsy diagnosis. We handle birth injury cases for children with cerebral palsy with the intent of securing compensation to cover lifelong medical expenses and support for clients.
Seizure Disorders
Children who experience birth asphyxia are at a higher risk of developing seizure disorders. Most seizures occur within the first 72 hours of life. These conditions can be overwhelming for families, especially when caused by a medical malpractice-related injury.
If your child suffers from seizure disorders, our birth injury lawyers can help you file a birth asphyxia claim. We’ll handle the entire process, from investigating medical records and proving medical negligence to negotiating a fair settlement.
Developmental Delays
Oxygen deprivation can also lead to developmental delays, impacting a child’s ability to reach milestones like walking, talking, or learning. These delays require years of physical therapy, educational support, and other interventions.
If physical and cognitive limitations are linked to medical malpractice, the San Antonio birth asphyxia attorneys from our law firm can help you seek financial support for your child’s care.
Wrongful Death
Tragically, some families lose their children due to the complications of birth asphyxia. This devastating outcome often leaves families searching for answers and accountability.
If your family has suffered such a loss, our wrongful death lawyers in San Antonio can guide you through the legal system. We are here to help you seek justice for your loss and hold negligent medical professionals responsible.
Common Causes of Birth Asphyxia in Texas
Birth asphyxia can occur for many reasons, often tied to medical errors and oversights during pregnancy or the birthing process. While some cases may be unavoidable, many are caused by preventable mistakes made by medical staff.
Below, we outline the most common causes of birth asphyxia in Texas birth injury cases.
Failure to Monitor Fetal Distress
One of the most critical responsibilities of the medical team during labor and delivery is monitoring the baby for signs of fetal distress, such as changes in the baby’s heart rate or decreased fetal movement. When medical staff fail to recognize or act on these signs of distress, the baby may not get enough oxygen and suffer severe birth injuries.
Our birth asphyxia lawyers in San Antonio can help you file a birth injury claim if your baby was not properly monitored during the birthing process.
Delayed Delivery and Improper Use of Delivery Tools
In cases where labor is prolonged or complications arise, a proper delivery is critical. Delayed delivery or the improper use of tools like forceps or vacuum extractors can increase the risk of birth asphyxia. These errors can result in injuries to the baby’s body, including brain damage or respiratory distress.
If a delayed delivery or the improper use of delivery tools caused your child’s birth asphyxia, our birth injury lawyers can help you seek justice by holding negligent medical professionals accountable.
Failure to Recognize Umbilical Cord Problems
Umbilical cord problems, such as prolapse or compression, can restrict the baby’s oxygen supply during labor and delivery. If the medical staff failed to recognize or address these issues, the baby’s brain could be injured.
Families affected by this negligence may file umbilical cord prolapse claims in San Antonio to hold the responsible parties accountable for the harm caused to their child.
Mismanagement of Placental Abruption
A placental abruption occurs when the placenta separates from the uterus too early, cutting off oxygen and nutrients to the baby. This condition requires immediate medical intervention. If the medical staff fails to act quickly, it can lead to birth asphyxia and long-term injuries. Mismanagement of this condition can be grounds for a birth injury lawsuit.
Inadequate Resuscitation Efforts
When a baby experiences respiratory distress after birth, fast and effective resuscitation is essential. Delayed or inadequate efforts by medical staff can exacerbate the effects of oxygen deprivation, leading to conditions like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) or even death. These failures can be devastating and are often the basis for birth injury cases.
Anesthesia Malpractice
Errors in administering anesthesia, such as improper dosages or complications from an epidural, can disrupt the labor and delivery process and harm the mother and baby. If anesthesia mistakes contributed to birth asphyxia, you may need a San Antonio epidural malpractice lawyer to evaluate your case and help you seek compensation for your child’s injuries.
Failure to Diagnose Maternal Conditions
Undiagnosed maternal conditions, such as preeclampsia or infections, can increase the risk of birth asphyxia. These conditions often require close monitoring by medical professionals. If a doctor failed to diagnose or treat these issues and your child suffered serious harm, our San Antonio preeclampsia lawyers can help you pursue justice and compensation.
How Our San Antonio Birth Asphyxia Attorneys Help With Birth Injury Claims
If your child suffered from birth asphyxia due to medical negligence, you might be wondering about your legal options and how to sue a hospital in Texas. Our experienced birth asphyxia lawyers in San Antonio are here to guide you through the entire process of filing a birth injury claim and seeking compensation for your child’s injuries and future needs.
Prove Medical Malpractice
One of the first steps in a birth injury case is proving that medical professionals failed to meet the standard of care, leading to your child’s birth injuries. This includes showing how their actions—or inactions—violated national patient safety goals.
Our birth injury lawyer team works with medical experts to gather evidence, review medical records, and build a strong case on your behalf.
File a Birth Injury Lawsuit
If attempts to resolve the issue directly with the hospital are unsuccessful, we can file a birth injury lawsuit on your behalf. This legal action allows our San Antonio birth injury lawyers to demand accountability and fight for the legal compensation your family deserves.
Our law firm handles all aspects of the process, including filing legal paperwork, gathering witness statements, and representing you in court if necessary.
Negotiate a Fair Birth Asphyxia Settlement
Many birth injury cases are resolved through settlements instead of going to trial. Our San Antonio birth asphyxia lawyers work directly with the hospital’s legal team or insurance company to negotiate a settlement that accounts for your child’s medical expenses, therapy, and future care. We also seek compensation for the emotional toll and mental anguish your family has endured.
Experienced Birth Asphyxia Lawyer in San Antonio
If your child has suffered a brain injury or other harm due to oxygen deprivation at birth, the San Antonio birth injuries lawyer team at Janicek Law is here to help. Our compassionate attorneys understand how devastating birth asphyxia can be, and we are dedicated to fighting for justice on your behalf.
Let our skilled birth injury lawyers help you seek the compensation your family deserves. Call 210-366-4949 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today.
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