Newborn Head Injury Lawyers in Dallas
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Newborn Head Injuries
Caput succedaneum is a condition that affects the head of a newborn. It is commonly caused by a traumatic birth. It involves the swelling of the scalp because of trauma placed upon the child by the vaginal wall. Those births that are particularly long or difficult often result in some type of head injury, some more common than others. While this is typically considered a complication, rather than a result of malpractice, this is not always the case. When doctors fail to exhibit the necessary care that could have lessened the strain of a difficult birth, it may be considered medical malpractice.
These types of injuries are typically sustained after the amniotic sac has ruptured. This is what provides the infant a cushion during the delivery process. This cushion could protect them from caput succedaneum and other head injuries. Symptoms typically include an inflamed scalp that will appear red, swollen or oddly shaped. Although these injuries typically go away within a few days, those that last longer may need continued medical attention. One complication of caput succedaneum is jaundice, which is a condition that newborns can sometimes contract when there are high levels of bilirubin.
Ventouse and Traumatic Birth
A traumatic birth can often necessitate induced labor by way of a ventouse machine. This is a vacuum machine that is attached to the infants head so that the infant can more readily pass through the birth canal. This is an alternative to caesarean sections that is usually fairly safe, but can sometimes cause the infant injury. Typically, a ventouse birth will only result in a temporary swelling of the skull called a chignon, but in more serious cases, the baby may be injured with a cephalohaematoma or subgaleal hemorrhage.
Almost all cases of subgaleal hemorrhages are caused by vacuum extraction. The pressure from the ventouse has the potential to rupture the veins under the scalp and cause serious bruising. Cases in which great amounts of blood escape into the skull can result in the death of the child. A cephalohaematoma is a type of hemorrhage between the skull and the skull membrane. This type of injury may indicate a more serious condition such as a linear skull fracture. Fractures of this nature may lead to infection causing meningitis. This type of injury will be visible immediately after birth, so there is no latency period.
Development of Jaundice
Jaundice is a condition that can affect newborns who suffer this kind of trauma during the delivery process. As it was stated before, bilirubin is the substance present in newborns with jaundice. It is yellow, and can cause a yellowing of the skin. It is quite common for newborns to have higher bilirubin levels than normal right after birth, but in some children, the condition does not go away for some time. Some infants with jaundice will have very low energy levels and may not want to feed.
Typically, a blood test will be conducted in order to determine the amount of bilirubin in the child’s system. Depending on the extremity of the condition, doctors may recommend treatments as simple as keeping the baby hydrated or treatments such as phototherapy. If your child was injured at birth, it may be more than a mere complication. There are some cases in which birth injuries were caused or made worse by the actions of doctors and other hospital staff and you may need the help of a Dallas personal injury attorney. In order to learn whether or not you have a case, contact the Dallas birth injury lawyers of Zinda Law Group today at (800) 863-5312.
