David M. Patton Birth Injuries Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Arizona Cerebral Hypoxia Birth Injuries

can be devistating to a family and in some cases they are avoidable if correct medical action is taken during child delivery. Read more about the forms of hypoxia and causes.

Types of Cerebral Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a condition where the body is deprived of an adequate supply of oxygen.  This can occur to the body as a whole or can be limited to a part of the body.

Cerebral hypoxia refers to oxygen deprivation to the brain. Depending on the length of time the brain is oxygen starved, this can lead to reversible conditions like dizziness or if the duration is longer, permanent cognitive brain damage and possibly death. Cerebral hypoxia birth injuries in Arizona fit into this category although there are situations where an adult may experience a cut-off of oxygen to the brain as well.

Certain forms of hypoxia are natural occurrences.  During physical exertion, oxygen may not be sufficient to meet the body’s needs.  There is also a chance for a hypoxic event at high altitudes, for people with COPD and those who suffer from sleep apnea.  Hypoxic condition symptoms include:

• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Seizure
• Coma
• Death

Other types of hypoxia are caused by outside forces working on a person’s body.  There are times when a person may be taking in an appropriate amount of oxygen but the cells are not using it properly.  Two examples of events causing cells to ineffectively absorb oxygen are: alcohol consumption and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Hypoxic Birth Injuries
An extremely serious complication of a hypoxic incident is when it involves a newborn.  There are cases where a child suffers from an injury or trauma which keeps it from receiving adequate oxygen while it is in the birth canal.  This can have some devastating consequences that may not be noticed immediately.

Unfortunately, we see many cases in Arizona where a doctor’s inattentiveness could have prevented a birth injury like hypoxia, or kept the negative effects to a minimum.  When a medical practitioner fails to monitor the child’s heart-rate during labor, or does not clear the airway properly after birth, there is an increased risk of oxygen deprivation.  Another common cause for birth injury hypoxia is when the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around an infant’s throat at some point during the birthing process. 

If these conditions are not immediately remedied, they can lead to mental and physical disabilities or even result in death.  These horrible effects can dampen the joy of a child’s birth with no guarantee for future good health.  When a doctor or delivery team fails to counteract the trauma that results in a hypoxia birth injury, contact Patton Law Practice for a skilled birth injury attorney in Arizona.

Apgar Scoring
One way to ensure a newborn’s health after birth is by taking what is called an Apgar score.  The scoring is based on five elements of observation that are taken approximately five minutes after the infant is born.  The criteria for the test make up an acronym for the doctor who invented the concept and include:

• Appearance (skin color)
• Pulse (pulse rate)
• Grimace (reflex irritability)
• Activity (muscle tone)
• Respiration (breathing)

A single low score on the Apgar examination is not always a cause for immediate concern.  A diligent delivery team should repeat the test over a period of time in order to ensure a low score improves, or that normal scores do not drop.  If the delivery team does not take these scores, takes them improperly, or infrequently, there may be an actionable malpractice cause. 

Consult the Patton Law Practice if you believe that your baby suffered a birth injury in Arizona that was due to medical negligence. David M. Patton is an experienced Arizona birth injury lawyer who can help you determine if you may be able to recover compensation for the injuries to your baby.