Our Michigan birth injury lawyers handle cases involving hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition characterized by excess bilirubin in blood. When the condition is not timely diagnosed and treated and an baby suffers injuries, it can give rise to a birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit.

Hyperbilirubinemia Facts

Hyperbilirubinemia is a condition in which there is excess bilirubin in blood. Bilirubin is formed by the break down of red blood cells. It is not simply for babies to get rid of bilirubin, and this substance tends to build up in blood and other fluids and tissues of the body. This is known as hyperbilirubinemia. As bilirubin has a yellow coloring, it causes the yellowing of skin and tissues, also known as jaundice.

Causes of Hyperbilirubinemia

In the course of pregnancy, the placenta excretes bilirubin. After the infant is born, the liver of the infant must take over this function. Some causes of hyperbilirubinemia include:

• Physiologic jaundice – this occurs as a normal response to the infant’s limited ability to excrete bilirubin in the early days of life
• Breast milk jaundice – nearly 2 percent of all breastfed babies develop this jaundice after the 1^st week.
• Jaundice from hemolysis – this occurs when the hemolytic disease in the newborn causes the breakdown of red blood cells
• Inadequate liver function – the infant may also be jaundiced due to inadequate liver function

Hyperbilirubinemia – A Concern

This condition can become a serious concern if large amounts of bilirubin are excreted into the blood. In those times, bilirubin can also cause permanent damage to the brain, developing a condition called kernicterus.

Symptoms of Hyperbilirubinemia

The most common symptoms of bilirubinemia are as follows:

• Lethargy and poor feeding
• Yellow coloring of the infant’s skin, usually starting from the facing and progressing downwards

Treatment for Hyperbilirubinemia

Treatment for hyperbilirubinemia is determined by the physician on the basis of baby’s age, overall health, medical history, baby’s tolerance for particular medications or therapies and your personal opinion and preference.

Some common treatment measures include:

• Phototherapy
• Fiberoptic blanket
• Exchange transfusion to replace the damaged blood with fresh blood
• Ceasing breastfeeding for 1-2 days
• Treating an underlying cause that may be causing hyperbilirubinemia

Contact a Michigan Hyperbilirubinemia Malpractice Lawyer

If an infant suffers hyperbilirubinemia because a medical condition was not timely diagnosed and treated, it can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.  Hyperbilirubinemia can affect the social, academic and vocational upbringing of the infant. These often require services that amount to a significant expense over a child’s lifetime and are sought as damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

It is essential to contact our office as soon as possible so that we can obtain your child’s complete medical chart to determine whether there was negligence involved in the treatment.  There are strict time delays for filing medical malpractice lawsuits in Michigan so it is essential to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible to see if your child has valid case.

Our Michigan birth injury lawyers handle cases involving sepsis. This is a bacterial infection that can originate and attack many parts of the body such as lungs, skin, intestines and urinary tract. Sepsis can even be fatal for your infant. There are incidents when this infection should have diagnosed and treated properly, and your newborn could have been prevented from harm. In such circumstances, there may be a child birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit.

Sepsis Facts

Sepsis is a serious infection caused by bacteria. It can originate in various parts of the body to produce toxins that cause the body immune system to attacks own tissues and organs.  Sepsis can lead to some very serious complications that affect the lungs, brain, kidneys, hearing, and can even be fatal. Though sepsis can affect people of all ages, it is common in babies under the age of 3 months.

Sepsis Symptoms

When sepsis occurs, bacteria and toxins produced by them cause changes in the patient’s body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and can even result in dysfunction of a body organ.  It is essential that the condition is timely diagnosed and treated by doctors and hospitals to prevent serious injury and harm to the baby.

If an infant suffers injuries due to sepsis that was not timely diagnosed and treated, it can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.  Children with severe sepsis often develop conditions that can affect the social, academic and vocational upbringing of the infant. These often require services that amount to a significant expense over a child’s lifetime and are sought as damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Contact a Michigan Sepsis Infection Malpractice Lawyer

It is essential to contact our office as soon as possible so that we can obtain your child’s complete medical chart to determine whether there was negligence involved in the treatment.  There are strict time delays for filing medical malpractice lawsuits in Michigan so it is essential to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible to see if your child has valid case.

Our Michigan birth injury lawyers handle cases involving jaundice.  According to an estimate, about 60% of newborns in the US are jaundiced; they look yellow.   However, most babies are not seriously jaundiced, and react normally. However, when jaundice attacks the infant severely, the effects can be very catastrophic.  The failure of a doctor or hospital to timely diagnose jaundice and start treatment can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Causes of Jaundice

Jaundice is the yellow coloring of skin and other tissues. It is often seen in the sclera, the whites of the eyes, which become yellow.  The signs of severe bilirubin toxicity are as follows:

• Lethargy
• High-pitched cry
• Abnormalities of tone
• Fever
• Arching back

Jaundice is caused by high level of bilirubin in blood and tissues. Factors such as prematurity, bruising, blood group incompatibilities between mother and infant such as Rh and ABO blood types etc can all increase the production of bilirubin and lead to severe jaundice.

Treatment for Jaundice

Babies with high level of bilirubin can be treated properly. Phototherapy is a highly effective method used for treatment. It is the blue color in light that transforms the toxic form of bilirubin into a non-toxic, water soluble form that is eliminated. In situations when bilirubin reaches dangerous levels, extreme treatment method, known as exchange transfusion, may be used to remove the toxic bilirubin from blood.

Brain Damage due to Jaundice

Jaundice is a very severe condition but when properly diagnosed and treated often results in no injury to the baby.  When jaundice is left untreated, it can seriously affect the upbringing of your infant. Such damage requests are included in medical malpractice lawsuit for jaundice.

Contact a Michigan Jaundice Infection Malpractice Lawyer

If an infant suffers injuries due to jaundice that was not timely diagnosed and treated, it can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.  Children with severe jaundice often develop conditions that can affect the social, academic and vocational upbringing of the infant. These often require services that amount to a significant expense over a child’s lifetime and are sought as damages in a medical malpractice lawsuit.

It is essential to contact our office as soon as possible so that we can obtain your child’s complete medical chart to determine whether there was negligence involved in the treatment.  There are strict time delays for filing medical malpractice lawsuits in Michigan so it is essential to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible to see if your child has valid case.