Baltimore Newborn Jaundice Lawyers

What Is Newborn Jaundice?

Initially, you may suspect your newborn has jaundice when the child displays a yellow tint in their skin and eyes. A child affected by newborn jaundice will also have heightened levels of bilirubin in their blood. The human body produces bilirubin as it replaces red blood cells. Although the liver is supposed to break down bilirubin and remove it from the body, when that process fails, bilirubin accumulates and can cause your baby’s skin and the whites of their eyes to take on a yellow hue.

Severe newborn jaundice can happen when the baby has an inflated number of red blood cells the body needs to replace. Early newborn jaundice can also result from some medications, infections present at birth, oxygen deprivation, prematurity, and sepsis. In these cases, it’s critical to have careful monitoring during the first five days of life which can help prevent most cases of jaundice. If newborn jaundice led to more serious medical issues like kernicterus for your baby, seek medical assistance as soon as possible, then consult with a Baltimore newborn jaundice lawyer to get the legal help you need and deserve. Together, you and your attorney can determine if you have a birth injury lawsuit and plan out the next steps to file your claim.

Who Is At Risk For Untreated Jaundice?

Believe it or not, a small number of red blood cells die and are replaced every day in the human body which creates bilirubin. However, if a baby’s body is not able to break down and remove bilirubin, jaundice can occur. Breast-fed and premature babies are at a higher risk of being unable to vacate bilirubin and developing either mild or intense newborn jaundice. Additionally, a newborn that is suffering from an underlying disease or medical condition affecting the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas may also be at a more significant risk of jaundice. Newborns born with one of the following diseases or conditions may be susceptible to jaundice:

• Gilbert syndrome
• Dubin-Johnson syndrome
• Rotor syndrome
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome
• Immune disorders
• Abnormal blood cell shapes
• A blood type that does not match their mother’s
• Bleeding under the scalp due to difficulties during birth
• Infections
• Inherited disorders
• Cystic fibrosis
• Hepatitis

Symptoms Of Jaundice In Newborns

The unmistakable symptom associated with newborn jaundice is the baby’s yellowing eyes or skin that could appear instantly or within the first few days after birth. In most cases, newborn jaundice appears on the face first before spreading to other areas of the body. Increased bilirubin levels normally rise in the first week after birth. Therefore, early detection of a high level of bilirubin in infants is the key to treatment for newborn jaundice. If the signs of jaundice were apparent and a medical professional failed to identify them, you may have a medical malpractice claim. Contact Hyatt & Goldbloom today to speak with our Baltimore jaundice lawyer.

It is imperative to seek immediate medical treatment if the child’s jaundice strengthens or spreads to other body areas or develops a fever of 100°F or higher. Furthermore, the healthcare provider should see the child immediately if their yellowing becomes more profound or develops a high pitched cry, becomes lethargic, or refuses to nurse. Other known symptoms of newborn jaundice include the following:

• Unusually fussy behavior
• Inadequate bowel or bladder output
• Frantic crying
• High pitch crying
• A floppy, limp, or stiff body
• Bows or arches the heels, neck, or head
• Displays unusual eye movements

Medical Malpractice And Untreated Jaundice

Due to jaundice being relatively common in newborns, doctors, nurses, and hospitals must recognize the risk and be able to promptly identify when a baby is suffering from jaundice. If a medical provider fails to diagnose and treat jaundice when a reasonable doctor would have done so, the healthcare provider can be held legally responsible for medical malpractice. For example, medical providers can be deemed legally liable for complications suffered by a child with untreated jaundice if the following occurs:

• The hospital or care provider caused or contributed to jaundice through the forceful use of forceps or a vacuum during birth
• The hospital was unreasonably careless in not having policies on when to check bilirubin levels, particularly in newborns such as premature babies at high risk
• The medical professional missed or overlooked the symptoms of jaundice
• Treatment was not provided to a jaundiced infant

In order to determine if a medical professional committed medical malpractice, it’s crucial to determine what a hypothetical reasonable doctor would have done. If a reasonable doctor would have identified and properly treated jaundice, your doctor who failed to do so can be considered liable for negligence. In these instances, it’s highly recommended that you seek counsel from a Baltimore newborn jaundice lawyer who has experience representing serious birth injury lawsuits. Hyatt & Goldbloom has been protecting the injured people and their families in Baltimore City for over 30 years. Call us today for a free case evaluation and to learn more about how we can help.