New York Perinatal Asphyxia

Perinatal asphyxia occurs when just before delivery, during delivery, or in the moments just after delivery the baby does not receive adequate oxygen. When born, a baby suffering from perinatal asphyxia is usually quiet and may have a blue appearance. Perinatal asphyxia can be caused by a number of problems. It is quite dangerous because if the baby is not breathing, oxygen is not reaching the brain. Without an adequate oxygen supply, brain cells cannot survive, leading to brain damage. Birth asphyxia may be prevented and the lasting effects of birth asphyxia may be minimized by appropriate fetal monitoring and immediately responding to distress. If your baby suffered brain damage at birth, the experienced New York perinatal asphyxia attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates are here to help. We have the knowledge, skill, and resources to build a case against the negligent medical professionals in order to obtain fair compensation on behalf of your injured baby.

Asphyxia refers to oxygen deprivation, which can occur during birth for a variety of reasons. If the obstetrician or other medical professional fails to diagnose an oxygenation problem, the baby is at risk for suffering a permanent injury that will leave the child with a lifelong disability. Risk factors for perinatal asphyxia include:

• Uterine rupture
• Placental abruption
• Placenta previa
• Prolonged labor and delivery
• Difficult delivery
• Severe infection
• Infant anemia

If any of these risk factors are present, it is incumbent upon the doctor to closely monitor the baby for symptoms of perinatal asphyxia. For example, decreased movement by the baby as reported by the mother is a sign of fetal distress. Fetal monitoring, which measures the baby’s heart rate, will also alert doctors to fetal distress. If the doctor fails to recognize signs of perinatal asphyxia or fails to timely respond to fetal distress, the doctor may have acted in a negligent manner.

If you believe that you baby’s birth injuries were the result of the failure of your doctor and other medical professionals to properly care for you and your baby, contact a skilled New York perinatal asphyxia lawyer to discuss the details of your case. A medical malpractice claim requires evidence that your doctor (or other medical professional) behaved in a manner that deviated from the manner that a competent medical professional would have behaved in a similar situation. In other words, you must have evidence of medical negligence. You also must show that as a result of the medical negligence, your baby suffered a serious birth injury.

Damages available from a successful medical malpractice lawsuit include medical expenses related to your child’s injury, rehabilitative care, lost wages, in-come care, special education fees, and lessened of enjoyment of life.

Jenna was in labor with her second child. Her son was born two years earlier via emergency c-section. However, Jenna’s doctor concluded that it was safe for Jenna to deliver her second child vaginally. While in labor at the hospital, Jenna’s doctor made sure that her baby’s heart rate was monitor using electronic fetal monitoring. However, when Jenna had to use the bathroom, the nurse disconnected the monitor, and did not immediately reconnect it. After 20 minutes the monitor was reconnected and it indicated fetal distress. Jenna’s doctor was alert. The doctor quickly delivered Jenna’s baby via emergency c-section. Jenna had suffered a uterine rupture. As a result her baby was born with severe birth asphyxia and developed mild cerebral palsy and mild developmental delays. With the help of a perinatal asphyxia attorney in New York, Jenna filed a malpractice claim against the medical staff, including the nurse and her obstetrician, asserting that her baby suffered a birth injury because signs and symptoms of uterine rupture that were not timely diagnosed by the medical staff.

If your baby suffered a severe injury such as cerebral palsy due to perinatal asphyxia, and you believe that it was caused by medical negligence, you may have the right to receive compensation on behalf of your injured child. However, it is critical that you are represented by a skilled perinatal asphyxia attorney serving New York. The staff at the Law Offices of Stephen Bilkis & Associates is experienced in successfully representing victims who have suffered injuries due to mistakes made by medical professionals. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We represent clients in the following locations: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, Nassau County, Queens, Staten Island, Suffolk County and Westchester County.