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 medical malpractice lawyers handle cases involving meningitis. Meningitis is condition that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord or the brain. In order to treat meningitis, the exact cause of the condition has to be determined This is a very serious condition that can cause permanent damage to the brain, neurologic problems, or even death.

The condition is normally a result of a viral or bacterial infection. However, the inflammation may also be caused by some rare conditions such as drug reaction, cancer or disease of immune system.  It is especially dangerous in infants.

There are incidents when this condition should have diagnosed and treated properly.  When this is not done and your newborn suffers injury and harm, it may give rise to  a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Signs and Symptoms of Meningitis

The most common symptoms of meningitis are lethargy, fever, and a decreased problem-solving ability, but these symptoms are difficult to detect in infants.

If the inflammation progresses beyond the membranes of the brain, the process is called encephalitis.   This can cause permanent and irreversible damage to the child, including blindness, hearing loss, and brain injury.

The most common occurrence of meningitis is in infants between birth and two years. The greatest risk lies after birth, and between three-eight months. Severe infections and problems in immune system at birth can increase the child’s risk of meningitis.

Treatment of Meningitis

If you suspect your child to be suffering from meningitis, you should seek immediate medical care.  Some points that need attention when you suspect that your child has meningitis are as under:

• When carrying the infant to the hospital, keep him as comfortable as possible. You must constantly observe the child for any deterioration in condition.
• Children with viral meningitis will be sent home as this can easily be treated by administering acetaminophen. It is also important to increase the intake of fluids.
• The child should be reevaluated in 1-2 days to make sure he/she is improving. If you find any worsening signs, you should immediately return to the medical facility.
• For more serious type of meningitis, the child is admitted in the hospital and treated through a variety of therapies and medical procedures.

Meningitis is a serious condition that can affect the social upbringing of your young one. The child may require medical treatment, special education, and other services that are a considerable expense over the child’s lifetime. These damage requests are included in medical malpractice lawsuit for seeking compensation for the failure to treat and diagnose meningitis.

Contact a Michigan Meningitis Malpractice Lawyer

An baby, infant, or child who has meningitis that is not timely treated and diagnosed by a hospital or physician can suffer permanent and irreversible injuries.  In such circumstances, the failure to properly treat the condition can give rise to a medical malpractice lawsuit.  Untreated meningitis can cause significant harm to the child and  can affect the social, academic and vocational upbringing of the child. 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.