San Antonio Kernicterus Lawyer

If your child has suffered a kernicterus birth injury due to medical malpractice, working with a dedicated San Antonio kernicterus lawyer from Janicek Law is crucial to securing justice and support for your family. Our experienced birth injury lawyers are committed to guiding you through the legal process of filing a kernicterus birth injury lawsuit. Our Kernicterus lawyer and legal team work tirelessly to help clients secure adequate compensation.

To learn more about pursuing legal action against negligent healthcare providers, call 210-366-4949 to schedule a free consultation with a San Antonio Kernicterus lawyer today.

Severe Jaundice: A Preventable Birth Injury

Jaundice is a medical condition where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to high levels of bilirubin, a pigment produced by red blood cells. Neonatal jaundice occurs when a newborn’s liver isn’t mature enough to process bilirubin effectively, leading to elevated bilirubin levels in the blood. This medical condition is common in newborns, affecting up to 60% of full-term and 80% of premature babies in their first week, according to the Cleveland Clinic. While usually harmless, OB/GYNs and medical staff should properly monitor infants to prevent severe jaundice.

While jaundice itself is not always preventable, severe jaundice is a preventable birth injury. If excessive jaundice is left unchecked, it can escalate to acute bilirubin encephalopathy.

Without timely medical intervention, acute bilirubin encephalopathy can progress further, resulting in a rare form of brain damage known as kernicterus. When kernicterus occurs, it can have lifelong impacts, including cerebral palsy, motor dysfunction, hearing loss, and cognitive impairments.

Families dealing with the aftermath of such negligence should consult with our San Antonio kernicterus lawyers. At Janicek Law, our birth injury lawyers are experienced in handling claims for children who developed kernicterus because the medical staff neglected severe cases of acute bilirubin encephalopathy. We can help your family file a medical malpractice lawsuit to help seek compensation for not only your child’s medical treatment but your child’s future medical care, as well.

If your child developed kernicterus or suffered serious or permanent brain damage due to a physician’s failure to recognize or treat excessive jaundice, contact a San Antonio kernicterus medical malpractice lawyer at Janicek Law for a free consultation.

Chronic Bilirubin Encephalopathy (Kernicterus)

Chronic bilirubin encephalopathy, also known as kernicterus, is a serious condition resulting from untreated or poorly managed neonatal jaundice. When bilirubin in the blood is not properly treated, the bilirubin level will rise.

When a medical professional allows a bilirubin level to get too high, it will penetrate the brain tissue, leading to permanent brain damage.

This type of birth injury can have profound and lasting impacts on a child’s development, including motor impairments, hearing loss, and cognitive difficulties. When healthcare providers fail to monitor and address rising bilirubin levels adequately, they can be held liable in a kernicterus birth injury lawsuit.

Families affected by this preventable birth injury should seek legal assistance from experienced kernicterus lawyers in San Antonio. Our birth injury lawyers can help you file a kernicterus birth injury lawsuit to hold responsible medical professionals accountable and secure financial compensation to support your child’s future.

San Antonio Kernicterus Lawyer

Risk Factors for Hyperbilirubinemia in Newborns

Hyperbilirubinemia in newborns, characterized by elevated bilirubin in the blood, can lead to serious complications such as newborn jaundice and, if left untreated, kernicterus. Several risk factors increase the likelihood of an infant developing hyperbilirubinemia:

  • Premature Birth: Preterm infants have underdeveloped livers that are less efficient at processing old red blood cells, making it harder for the baby’s liver to manage bilirubin effectively.
  • Incompatible Blood Types: When the mother’s and baby’s blood types are different, the mother’s immune system can attack the baby’s blood cells.
  • Genetic factors: Certain genetic conditions, such as Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, Gilbert’s syndrome, and hereditary spherocytosis, lead to higher bilirubin levels by affecting the breakdown and processing of red blood cells.

Identifying and monitoring these risk factors is crucial for timely intervention, preventing severe birth injuries, and protecting the baby’s life. Proper medical care is essential to manage these conditions effectively and ensure the infant’s well-being.

If medical professionals ignore risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia in your newborn that led to a kernicterus birth injury, contact a San Antonio medical malpractice lawyer at Janicek Law to pursue justice and compensation for your child’s injury.

Failure to Prevent Kernicterus

San Antonio jaundice lawyer

Failure to prevent kernicterus often stems from medical negligence and inadequate monitoring by medical professionals. When newborns exhibit mild jaundice, healthcare professionals must conduct thorough blood tests to check for high bilirubin levels. Regular monitoring of the total serum bilirubin levels is essential to track the child’s condition and prevent excessive buildup of bilirubin. If symptoms of kernicterus appear, such as lethargy, irritability, or decreased muscle tone, further testing and medical intervention are required.

In severe cases, the baby may undergo an exchange transfusion, where the baby’s blood is removed and replaced through a blood transfusion. By removing blood containing high bilirubin and replacing it with blood with normal bilirubin levels, the total serum bilirubin level in the baby is significantly reduced. This treatment is typically considered when other methods, such as light therapy, are not effective in controlling high levels of bilirubin and preventing severe brain damage.

Complications of Kernicterus and Untreated Jaundice

Complications of kernicterus and untreated jaundice can be devastating, leading to lifelong consequences for affected children. Not properly examining a child’s condition for the signs and symptoms of kernicterus can lead to severe neurological damage.

Kernicterus cases often result in permanent brain injury, which can manifest as cerebral palsy, hearing loss, vision problems, poor development of tooth enamel, and intellectual disabilities. Additionally, children may experience muscle spasms and other motor function impairments.

To prevent these severe outcomes, healthcare providers must adequately monitor and treat jaundice, ensuring that the levels of bilirubin are kept in check to protect the child’s life and long-term health and development.

If you’re baby’s kernicterus was caused by medical malpractice that resulted in cerebral palsy, you could pursue a kernicterus birth injury lawsuit against the responsible healthcare providers. Contact Janicek Law today to meet with a San Antonio cerebral palsy attorney to learn more about your legal rights regarding your child’s kernicterus birth injury.

Medical Malpractice and Kernicterus

San Antonio bilirubin encephalopathy lawyer

Medical malpractice can have devastating consequences when it comes to managing newborn jaundice and preventing kernicterus. When healthcare professionals fail to conduct a timely and accurate blood test to monitor the child’s bilirubin level, the risk of permanent brain damage increases significantly.

Neglecting to address elevated bilirubin can lead to kernicterus, a severe form of brain damage that has lifelong effects. Many families are unaware that kernicterus is a preventable birth injury and that they can pursue legal action for medical negligence. If healthcare providers fail to properly monitor and treat high bilirubin levels, resulting in kernicterus, families have the right to seek justice and compensation for the harm caused to their children.

If your child’s kernicterus was caused by medical malpractice, an experienced kernicterus lawyer in San Antonio can help you navigate the legal process as you pursue financial compensation for damages.

How to Prove Medical Negligence in a Kernicterus Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Texas

Proving medical negligence in kernicterus cases involves demonstrating that the healthcare providers failed to meet the standard of care required to prevent untreated jaundice from progressing to brain damage.

To build a strong medical malpractice case, it is essential to gather comprehensive medical records, expert testimonies, and evidence of the failure to conduct appropriate tests or treatments. Families affected by this type of birth injury should pursue legal action with the help of an experienced lawyer who has experience handling kernicterus cases.

Our San Antonio kernicterus birth injury lawyers can effectively argue that the negligence led to severe outcomes, such as cerebral palsy and other forms of permanent brain damage, ensuring that the responsible parties are held accountable.

How A San Antonio Kernicterus Birth Injury Lawyer Can Help

San Antonio Kernicterus Birth Injury Lawyer

Since kernicterus is both detectable and treatable, no baby should develop brain damage due to this birth injury. When a child develops brain damage due to kernicterus, it is crucial to seek the knowledge of birth injury lawyers in San Antonio.

Kernicterus lawyers have experience handling these unique birth injury cases and provide expert legal representation for families affected by medical malpractice. They can assist you in gathering essential evidence, consulting with medical experts, and building a strong case to prove medical negligence.

Taking legal action with their support increases your chances of a favorable outcome, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable and that you receive the financial compensation necessary to support your child’s needs. Trusting experienced birth injury lawyers can make a significant difference in securing justice and resources for your child’s future.

San Antonio Kernicterus Attorney

If your child has suffered from kernicterus due to newborn jaundice that was not properly treated, it’s essential to seek justice. The dedicated birth injury lawyers at Janicek Law are here to help you during this challenging time. Our San Antonio kernicterus birth injury lawyers have the experience and compassion needed to hold negligent medical professionals accountable and obtain the financial compensation your family deserves.

Call Janicek Law at 210-366-4949 to schedule a free consultation with a Kernicterus lawyer today. 

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