If your child developed lung problems from meconium aspiration, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit against your doctor or her staff.
Meconium aspiration syndrome is a breathing disorder developed by newborns who breathe meconium (stool) from the amniotic fluid into the lungs during delivery. It can lead to breathing problems, inflection, low blood oxygen, and several other potentially severe conditions. Your doctor and her staff have a duty to take every possible precaution to prevent this birth injury.
If your child developed lung problems from meconium aspiration, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit against your doctor or her staff. A meconium aspiration syndrome birth injury lawyer from Newsome | Melton can help. We fight for the rights of injured patients and their families.
Our team offers a free consultation, and we work on a no-win-no-fee basis: we get paid only when you do. Call 888-526-8947 for a free case evaluation.
Your Doctor May Have Been Responsible for Your Child’s Meconium Aspiration Syndrome Birth Injury
Meconium is feces passed by newborn babies before they start to digest milk or formula. A baby may begin to pass meconium immediately before delivery or during the delivery process, while they are still inside the uterus. This can cause the meconium to pass into the amniotic fluid, which the baby may then breathe into the lungs.
When this happens, it is called meconium aspiration. It may occur immediately before birth, during birth, or shortly after birth. Although it is rarely a life-threatening occurrence, it can lead to several complications, including:
- Blocked airways
- Breathing problems
- Inflammation
- Infection
If your baby aspirated meconium into the lungs during or immediately after childbirth, your doctor’s negligence may have played a role. A doctor assisting with childbirth, as well as his or her staff, must be aware of both the risk factors of meconium aspiration and the signs that it has occurred.
By recognizing the risk factors, they can take preventative steps to minimize the chance of meconium aspiration. Knowing the signs allows them to administer treatment at the earliest possible time, lowering the likelihood of the baby suffering long-term damage.
Common risk factors of meconium aspiration syndrome include:
- Pregnancy goes beyond due date (due to aging of the placenta)
- Lack of oxygen to baby during childbirth
- Diabetes in the mother
- A long or difficult delivery
- High blood pressure in the mother
A baby who has aspirated meconium into the lungs usually displays several signs and symptoms, including:
- A bluish skin color
- Difficult or labored breathing
- Lack of breathing
- Limpness at birth
It is the responsibility of your doctor to pick up on these signs, run the appropriate tests, and administer treatment promptly. If your doctor’s actions fell short in any way, we can seek damages from them in a malpractice suit.
Let the Newsome | Melton Birth Injury Legal Team Help You Recover Compensation for Your Child’s Meconium Aspiration Syndrome Birth Injury
At Newsome | Melton, our meconium aspiration birth injury lawyers help clients recover damages when their children suffer because of a doctor or healthcare provider’s negligence. Our team understands what makes up a successful medical malpractice claim for a birth injury. It needs to demonstrate four things:
- The responsible party owed you a duty of care.
- The responsible party did not uphold her duty of care.
- You or your baby suffered harm as a result.
- You incurred damages because of your or your baby’s injury.
Duty of Care
We first must show that the responsible party, whether your doctor or a member of her staff, owed you and your baby a duty of care. This duty exists between all healthcare providers and their patients, so we have evidence of a doctor-patient relationship and can demonstrate you were owed a duty of care.
Failure to Uphold Duty
The next step is to show how your doctor, or their staff member failed in their duty by not providing the level of care one would expect from a reasonable person in the same situation.
We can make this case by bringing in other medical experts to testify, particularly ones involved in childbirth. These expert witnesses can review the evidence and offer clarity on how your doctor or his or her staff failed in their obligations to you as a patient.
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome Birth Injury
The third thing we must show is that the responsible party’s failure was the cause of your child’s birth injury. We can demonstrate this by presenting medical evidence, doctors’ statements, lab test results, expert witness testimony, and other evidence as needed.
Economic or Non-Economic Damages
Finally, we must list the damages you have incurred as a direct result of your child’s birth injury. These damages may be economic (involving actual financial loss) or non-economic (not involving financial loss).
Count on Newsome | Melton to Fight for Fair Compensation
The Newsome | Melton team fights for the full slate of damages you deserve for your child’s birth injury. These may include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Costs of continuing care
- Pain, suffering, and inconvenience
- Emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
Statute of Limitations
If necessary, a meconium aspiration syndrome birth injury lawyer from Newsome | Melton can file a quick lawsuit on your behalf to stave off any statute of limitation challenges. Every state has a different statute of limitations, which sets a time limit on how long you have after an injury to take legal action.