Understanding Injuries and Deaths in Labor and Delivery: What Every Patient Should Know About Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and Birth Injuries
When you or a loved one goes to the hospital to have a baby, you expect a joyful and safe experience. While most babies are born healthy, labor and delivery carry risks, including serious birth injuries like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), which can cause long-term neurological problems or even death. As a law firm that represents injured patients, we believe it’s crucial to understand what can go wrong during childbirth, how often it happens, and what your rights are if your child suffers a birth injury such as HIE birth injury or other neonatal encephalopathy.
How Common Are Birth Injuries and Deaths During Labor and Delivery?
In the United States, about 7 in every 1,000 children suffer a birth injury, with roughly 1 in 1,000 affected by serious conditions like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Studies estimate that 80% of birth injuries are moderate to severe, often leading to permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy from birth injury or developmental delays. Tragically, birth injuries contribute to about 20% of the 20,000 infant deaths each year.
Mothers also face significant risks, including severe maternal morbidity from complications such as high blood pressure disorders like preeclampsia, which can contribute to oxygen deprivation in newborns and HIE.
What Are the Most Common Types of Birth Injuries?
Birth injuries range from minor bruises to severe brain damage caused by lack of oxygen, known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Other frequent injuries include nerve damage, bone fractures, and cerebral palsy. Factors such as prolonged labor, improper use of delivery instruments, or failure to recognize fetal distress increase the risk of HIE and other neonatal brain injuries.
Why Do Birth Injuries Like HIE Happen?
Many injuries, including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, result from preventable medical errors such as delayed C-sections, mismanagement of labor, or failure to monitor and respond to signs of fetal distress. When hospitals and healthcare providers fail to follow safety protocols, the consequences can be devastating, causing lifelong disabilities or death.
What Can You Do If Your Baby Has a Birth Injury Like HIE?
If your baby was diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or another birth injury, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Caring for a child with HIE involves understanding the diagnosis, treatment options such as therapeutic hypothermia for HIE, and long-term care needs. A birth injury attorney experienced in HIE birth injury cases can help you investigate whether medical negligence contributed to your child’s condition and can assist you in seeking compensation to cover medical treatment, therapies, and support.
Final Thoughts
Childbirth should be a safe and positive experience. Unfortunately, preventable errors lead to many cases of neonatal encephalopathy and other birth injuries each year. Our law firm is dedicated to helping families affected by birth injuries like hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy understand their rights and obtain justice.
Girards Law Firm specializes in severe injury and wrongful death cases involving birth injuries, including brain damage from HIE, cerebral palsy from birth injury, heart damage, and other serious conditions in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Visit www.girardslaw.com or use the chat feature for a free, confidential consultation about your rights and options.