Intracranial Hemorrhages Lawyer
When you go to the hospital to deliver your baby, you trust that your team has the proper training to take care of you and your baby. When providers cut corners or make careless decisions during labor and delivery, they may put your baby at risk of life-threatening intracranial hemorrhages. For example, the healthcare team may induce labor far before your body is ready to give birth, or they may not properly monitor the signs of fetal distress.
If you or your baby were hurt because of a mistake during the birthing process, Snyder Law Group is here to help you. Our Baltimore birth injury lawyers have fought for dozens of families and individuals who were harmed by the medical mistakes of thoughtless physicians, nurses, anesthesiologists, or hospitals. We understand the frustration and powerlessness you may be feeling during this time. We welcome the opportunity to leverage our legal knowledge and resources to help you reclaim your agency.
What Happens During an Intracerebral Hemorrhage?
An intracerebral hemorrhage is where pools of blood gather in the baby’s brain. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the blood may collect in certain spaces in the brain—such as in the ventricles. As Johns Hopkins Medicine explains, brain bleeds are more common in premature babies because their bodies are more fragile and prone to injury.
Depending on where the blood is and how much pressure is there, the baby’s brain tissue may be impacted by the bleeding. The higher the amount of blood—and thus the more impact it has on the tissue—the greater the risk of other complications and long-lasting effects.
What Causes Intracranial Hemorrhage?
As discussed by the National Library of Medicine, intracranial hemorrhages or brain bleeds might occur due to a number of reasons. The doctors may incorrectly use assistive devices—like forceps or a vacuum—and fracture the baby’s skull. Or, a prolonged or rapid birth may injure the baby’s brain or skull.
Incorrectly inducing labor—such as by giving the mother Pitocin—can put the baby at a high risk of a brain bleed. The reason for this is that the uterus may contract and cause the baby to travel through the birth canal before it’s time to do so. As a result, the newborn may get stuck and have its brain and body compressed. The pressure may fracture the baby’s skull or cause a brain bleed.
What Are the Symptoms of an Intracranial Hemorrhage?
As Medline discusses, babies with a brain bleed may not show any symptoms at first. If they do experience symptoms, however, these might include breathing problems—e.g., not breathing at all or breathing too fast—seizures and depressed reflexes. Medline goes on to list other signs of an intracranial hemorrhage, such as extreme tiredness or sluggishness, difficulty feeding, and lower muscle tone.
What Is the Survival Rate for Intracranial Bleeding?
The likelihood of a baby surviving an intracranial bleed depends on the location of the injury and its severity. If the bleed is mild or isn’t putting pressure on tissue, it’s less likely to have lasting impacts on the baby’s development or ability to function. If there is a significant amount of pooling of the blood, which can harm the brain tissue, doctors may have difficulty stabilizing the baby.
The baby’s gestational age also plays a role in their likelihood of making a full recovery. According to the National Library of Medicine, preterm babies are less likely to survive an intraventricular hemorrhage than their full-term peers.
What Is the Treatment for Intracranial Hemorrhage?
As Johns Hopkins notes, doctors may not have a direct way to stop the bleeding. Instead, they might have to focus on treating the symptoms. For example, if the brain bleed is causing the baby to have difficulty breathing or have a low blood count, the medical team might take steps to stabilize this. Additionally, the healthcare providers may use a shunt or perform a spinal tap to drain excess fluids.
Filing a Legal Claim Because of Intracranial Hemorrhaging
If your baby died or has a lifelong disability because of a medical mistake that caused a brain bleed, you may qualify to file a lawsuit against the negligent healthcare team. Maryland law empowers parents and children to bring a malpractice claim against a doctor, nurse, or hospital that made a serious error that harmed someone.
Maryland law may also require the person filing the case to have a medical expert review the records and certify that they think a grievous mistake happened. The person giving their expert opinion needs to be someone who recently practiced medicine and (in some cases) is board-certified in the same specialty as the offending physician. There are exceptions to this rule, however, that may alter these requirements.
Snyder Law Group: Our Baltimore Birth Injury Lawyers Can Advocate for You
If a doctor’s errors harmed your baby, you deserve recognition and compensation for the troubles you have had to endure because of it. As a family-owned law firm, Snyder Law Group understands the sense of upheaval and struggle parents and children may feel when a doctor’s errors cause someone they love harm.
Alongside his brother and father, Scott Snyder uses his finely-tuned negotiation and trial skills to help his clients pursue justice. Contact an intracranial hemorrhages birth injury lawyer today by calling 410-755-5829 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.