For new parents, delivery day is often one of utter joy. Bringing a life into this world is a highly emotional event, though yes, it can come with stress. There a million things to keep track of, and for those having their first child, the events of the day are...
Birth Injuries
Family awarded $15.1 million in birth injury suit
Washington residents might be interested to learn that a female Army veteran and her family recently were awarded $15.1 million in a lawsuit against the federal government. The woman, who served in the Army for three years, was stationed at Fort Campbell in...
Jury awards millions to mother in birth injury case
All Seattle parents hope their children are born healthy and happy, but some doctors make mistakes that can cause severe injuries during the birth process. When this occurs, it might be necessary to take legal action.For example, an Illinois jury recently awarded over...
Infant mortality rate still high in U.S.
Over 22,000 babies in Washington and across the U.S. are dying every year either before, during or just after delivery. The infant mortality rate in this country is 5.8 per 1,000 births, and though it has been declining over the decades, it is still higher than the...
Klumpke paralysis: symptoms and prognosis
Parents in Washington should be aware of the birth injuries that their newborn might fall victim to. One of the rarest is called Klumpke paralysis and involves an injury to a child's brachial plexus, a system of nerves located in the shoulder. The nerves could be...
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: what it is, how it is treated
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a type of birth injury that expectant mothers in Washington may want to know more about. It is a brain dysfunction (encephalopathy) caused by a shortage of oxygen going to the brain (hypoxia) and of blood reaching the brain...
Intraventricular hemorrhage: symptoms and treatments
Washington residents may be familiar with a condition called intraventricular hemorrhage where the ventricles, or fluid-filled areas, of the brain bleed. It often develops in babies born more than 10 weeks early because they have undeveloped blood vessels. Babies born...
Cephalohematoma: treatments and risk factors
Cephalohematoma refers to a bleeding outside of the blood vessels, or hematoma, that occurs between a baby's scalp and skull. It is the result of damage to the blood vessels during labor and delivery. Between 1 and 2% of babies develop it during or after birth, so...
Types and symptoms of infant spina bifida
Spina bifida, a condition where the spine fails to form properly and leaves the nerves of the spinal column exposed, is sometimes found in infants. Parents in Washington should know that the condition can be mild or serious depending on the type. There are three...
How negligence can harm a mother or child
When a baby is born, it may experience a mild or severe injury while being delivered. In some cases, the injury may be caused by the negligence of a Washington doctor. For instance, a mother may be given too much anesthesia, and that can have an impact on the baby's...