If your baby was born prematurely, has a congenital disease, or otherwise requires specialized care, it may be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While some babies may require neonatal care for a brief period, others may require it for several weeks. Healthcare providers must diligently tend to babies who require NICU care.
Although the NICU is a place where your baby should receive extra support in a fragile state, that does not make doctors or nurses immune to errors. If your baby is admitted to the NICU and suffers an injury, do not hesitate to contact our NICU injury lawyers in Harrisburg.
What Kind of Support is Provided in the NICU?
When you have a baby, the last thing you think about is your child potentially being ill. In the womb, the baby depends on a mother’s placenta and nutritional supply, which is unavailable once the baby is born. The reality is that babies who are born prematurely may have underdeveloped lungs, issues regulating their body temperature, or even suffer a lack of oxygen to the brain, requiring intensive support measures.
In addition to prematurity, other infants who may need NICU support include:
- Babies with low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds)
- If the baby is jaundiced
- A baby born breech (buttocks delivered first) or in an abnormal position
- If the baby needed to be resuscitated in the delivery room
- A baby with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- If the baby was deprived of oxygen (hypoxia) or blood flow (ischemia) at birth
- Forceps or cesarean delivery
- If the baby’s first stool (meconium) passed into the amniotic fluid before delivery
Types of NICU Errors
In the NICU, you may have a variety of providers caring for your child. While these providers have diverse backgrounds, errors can occur. The most common mistakes that take place in the NICU include:
Medication Errors
These mistakes may include errors in the correct dosage, administering the wrong drug, or missing a contraindication between two drugs.
Failure to Treat or Diagnose
During the third term of pregnancy, a baby’s skin glands produce vernix caseosa, a waxy, white substance that covers the skin and protects against infection. Premature babies often do not have this substance, which means they lack an innate immunity, making them more inclined to develop respiratory infections, bacterial meningitis, and necrotizing enterocolitis (a condition in which intestinal tissue dies). Failing to treat or diagnose any of these conditions promptly can prove fatal.
Breathing Assistance or Resuscitation Errors
Newborns in the NICU who are having difficulty breathing on their own often require the use of a ventilator or other breathing support. Errors with properly setting the oxygenation levels on a breathing device, failing to monitor the baby’s oxygenation levels, or a delay in resuscitation can cause the baby significant harm.
Guidance During Distressing Times
You put your trust in doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, but mistakes can, and often do, happen. At Marzella & Associates, our attorneys are dedicated to helping you obtain adequate compensation.
We will gather evidence to establish a physician’s or other provider’s negligence. This evidence may include:
- Medical records, including a healthcare professional’s notes and all reports related to your child’s delivery
- Results from laboratory testing and medical imaging
- Hospital records, including admission paperwork to the NICU, lists of medications administered, dosages, and any notable drug interactions
- Expert witness testimony, which may include neonatologists or pediatricians
- Testimony of any witnesses present in the NICU, which may include any doctors, nurses, and resident doctors who witnessed the error
Contact Our Harrisburg NICU Errors Attorneys Today
If your child has experienced a complication in the NICU, the legal team at Marzella & Associates would like to hear from you. Our Harrisburg NICU error lawyers know the heartache that a parent experiences when a child is sick, which is only compounded when a medical professional makes a grave error. Our attorneys will handle your case, allowing you to focus on your child’s well-being. To learn more or schedule your free consultation, contact us online or call today.