Though the birth of a baby should be one of the happiest times in the life of a parent, the experience is at times tainted by untoward complications experienced in the perinatal period-that time frame immediately before, during and after the birth of the baby. Sometimes, complications and conditions that are thought to be transient and disappear, often manifest themselves later when the child fails to reach certain developmental milestones on time, such as rolling over, crawling, standing up or walking. The child may lack certain gross and fine motor skills and may have difficulty learning. Health care providers may attribute such conditions to” unexplained developmental delay”. However, such developmental delay may have been caused by preventable events at birth which were the result of medical malpractice. Oxygen deprivation can occur due to umbilical cord compression or strangulation or prolonged periods of contraction activity where the baby’s heart rate does not return to baseline. It is therefore important to be vigilant of the events surrounding the birth of your child. If the birth was traumatic and the baby was deprived of oxygen before, during or after the birth, the baby may have suffered brain damage commonly referred to as “hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy” that may result in cerebral palsy and subsequent developmental delay. However, since the cause of such injuries is not always apparent and since developmental delay is not always immediately recognized, parents may unwittingly wait too long to consult a lawyer to review the case. Therefore, when a child fails to reach certain developmental milestones, it is often prudent to consult a birth injury attorney for advice. This might mean interviewing the family and obtaining copies of all relevant medical records relating to the birth and development of the child. It might also mean consulting with a qualified medical expert or experts to determine whether medical malpractice occurred and whether it caused significant harm to the child and their family.
At Slater and Norris, we specialize in representing those children suffering birth injuries that have been caused by the negligence of doctors, hospitals or other health care providers. We diligently investigate the circumstances of the case to determine if it has merit. If the case has merit, we pursue it in court on behalf of the injured child and their family. We collect a fee only if we recover money from the negligent health care provider.