The welcoming of a newborn into the world should be a joyous occasion, but some families are affected by acts of medical malpractice during labor that can lead to serious consequences. Fetal distress is one example of a grave medical condition that doctors must quickly recognize and treat to prevent additional complications. If you feel that your child was affected by birth injuries because of a doctor’s negligence, consider speaking with a legal advocate about your family’s rights.

Fetal Distress
Fetal distress is a broad term that means the baby isn’t getting enough oxygen. Fetal distress usually develops during labor, but may also arise during the third trimester. Babies who are in distress will have a weak heartbeat and reduced movement, as evidenced by a reduced kick count.

Causes
There are many factors that can contribute to fetal distress, including anemia and high blood pressure of the mother. Fetal infections, umbilical cord compression, and placental abruption are other possible causes. Expecting mothers of multiples and those who develop gestational diabetes are at an increased risk. Fetal distress is also associated with oligohydramnios, which refers to a lower level of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby.

Treatments
Fetal distress is a serious health risk that requires prompt medical intervention. If the doctor fails to diagnose and treat fetal distress in a timely manner, the baby is at a higher risk of developing brain injuries, including brain damage that can cause cerebral palsy or mental retardation. Doctors who do detect fetal distress can treat it by administering supplemental oxygen and intravenous fluids to the mother. It’s also treatable with amnioinfusion, which involves introducing fluid directly into the amniotic cavity to free a compressed umbilical cord. If these treatments do not work, the doctor must perform an emergency C-section.

If your baby has been affected by birth injuries in the Long Island, New York area, you can find the legal solutions you’re looking for at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC. We are a team of medical negligence lawyers who have made it our life’s work to advocate on behalf of families affected by medical malpractice. You can reach us at (516) 684-2900 to request a no-charge case review.

Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders that can stem from birth injuries, which may be the result of medical malpractice in some cases. Many children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year, yet the misconceptions about it are still widespread. It’s often assumed, for instance, that children with cerebral palsy will never improve their functional abilities. Although there is no cure for cerebral palsy, intensive and ongoing therapy can help these children reach their full potential. Some children can benefit from surgeries to improve their movement abilities.

Another common myth about people with cerebral palsy is that they will never be able to lead a productive life in the community. In fact, patients with cerebral palsy all have varying levels and types of impairments. With the right services, many of them go on to enjoy independence, hold down a job, and start families.

The cerebral palsy lawyers at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC work closely with families to help them secure the compensation they need to arrange for specialized medical care for their children. If your child has been diagnosed with a birth injury in Long Island, New York, call us at (516) 684-2900.

The group of movement disorders collectively known as cerebral palsy is the result of brain injuries or brain malformations that may occur before, during, or after birth. When a child is diagnosed with birth injuries like cerebral palsy, the parents’ priorities are typically to figure out why this occurred and how they can help their child. Determining the underlying cause is particularly important because of the possibility of medical malpractice.

Brain damage and the resultant disorders may be caused by the disruption of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This causes the death of brain cells. For example, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is damage to the white matter of the brain. When PVL occurs, there is a disruption in the transmission of signals to the muscles from the brain, causing movement problems and also other developmental delays.

If your child was diagnosed with a birth injury and you’re looking for a lawyer near Long Island, New York, you can call the law office of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC at (516) 684-2900. A birth injury lawyer will help you explore your legal rights and options.

It can be devastating for parents to learn that their precious baby has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a group of movement disorders and these disorders are incurable. Depending on the severity of the resultant impairments, individuals with cerebral palsy often require lifelong care. If your baby has been diagnosed with this disorder, consider speaking with a cerebral palsy lawyer. Certain birth injuries have been known to cause cerebral palsy.

Causes and Risk Factors
The underlying cause of cerebral palsy is a brain injury that usually occurs at or around the time of birth. This brain injury may occur during labor and delivery, such as when oxygen to the brain is cut off. Cerebral palsy has also been linked to maternal infections, fetal stroke, fetal infections, and gene mutations. The risk of cerebral palsy can increase if the mother does not receive appropriate prenatal care during pregnancy or if the case involves premature birth, breech birth, or pregnancy with multiples.

Motor Impairments
Children with cerebral palsy must be assessed individually, since the type and extent of the impairments can vary considerably from person to person. Typically, cerebral palsy involves muscle stiffness, exaggerated reflexes, impaired muscle coordination, and involuntary movements. Motor skill delays, crawling and walking difficulties, and the favoring of one side of the body are other possible indicators of cerebral palsy. In addition, children may have problems with fine motor skills, such as picking up and using a crayon or a fork.

Intellectual Disabilities
Some children with cerebral palsy only have movement impairment, while others also have intellectual disabilities. A child who has cognitive impairments may display delayed language development, impaired concentration, problems processing information, and problems expressing thoughts. These children may also have problems with memory, speech, sound recognition, and emotional regulation.

For more than 40 years, the team at Pegalis & Erickson, LLC has been defending the legal rights of families affected by birth injuries. If you feel you may have a birth injury case and live near Long Island, New York, call us today at (516) 684-2900. A cerebral palsy lawyer will carefully review your case and answer your questions at no charge.

Fetal distress occurs when the fetus is deprived of oxygen during labor. Typically, the doctor can determine if the fetus is in distress by monitoring the heartbeat, but when it is not discovered, it can lead to serious birth injuries. If your doctor fails to diagnose fetal distress or takes actions that cause fetal distress, and your child was seriously injured, you should investigate whether medical negligence was involved.

Fetal distress usually occurs as the result of a past term pregnancy or because of labor complications. It can be treated by delivering oxygen to the mother, increasing intravenous fluids, or turning the woman on her side. If the distress does not resolve, a cesarean delivery may be required.

If fetal distress occurred during your delivery and now your baby is suffering as a result, contact Pegalis & Erickson, LLC for a review of your case to see if medical malpractice could be to blame. Our medical malpractice attorneys have a track record of winning compensatory settlements for families who are facing the repercussions of birth injuries on Long Island . Talk to an attorney today by calling (516) 684-2900.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that hinders body movement and muscle coordination. It is most often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain or body during labor or childbirth and can be a result of medical malpractice. Cerebral palsy is considered a birth injury because it is often linked the following preventable problems:

Untreated Health Issues in the Mother
The mother’s health is essential to the wellbeing of the child. If doctors fail to detect and treat health problems such as infections and diabetes in the mother during pregnancy, it can have devastating effects on the child.

Inadequate Monitoring of Fetal Condition
Just as the mother needs to be monitored during pregnancy and childbirth, the baby does as well. If doctors neglect to monitor the child’s heartbeat or detect a prolapsed umbilical cord, there is a chance for preventable brain trauma to occur.

Failure to Perform Necessary Procedures
In some cases the baby is too large to safely pass through the birth canal, requiring a cesarean section. If the doctor delays or fails to perform a medically necessary cesarean section, the child can experience irreversible brain damage.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy you can contact a cerebral palsy lawyer in Long Island to discuss the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Please contact Pegalis & Erickson at (516) 684-2900 or online to schedule a consultation.

The proper functioning of the hip joint is essential for basic movement and for overall quality of life. While hip problems are often associated with older adults who have arthritis, they can also affect children and infants. Hip dysplasia refers to the instability and dislocation of the hip joint. Most often, it is present at birth, although it may develop during the first year of the child’s life. In some cases, the failure of a physician to diagnose and properly treat hip dysplasia may constitute an act of medical malpractice.

Causes
The presence of hip dysplasia by itself does not always indicate medical negligence; sometimes, the hip joint has simply failed to develop properly. Developmental hip dysplasia is more common among girls, first-born children, those with a family history of the condition, and cases that involve low levels of amniotic fluid. It can also occur more frequently in newborns born in the breech position. Medical organizations now recommend that all breech-born newborns be given an ultrasound to check for hip dysplasia.

Symptoms
There are different degrees of severity of hip dysplasia. Some children might not demonstrate noticeable symptoms. Parents might only notice that something is wrong when the baby has legs of different lengths, reduced flexibility and mobility on one side, or uneven skin folds on the thigh. As the child grows older and begins to walk, he or she might limp or otherwise take on an abnormal gait.

Treatments
Developmental hip dysplasia is best treated as soon as possible. When this condition is present at birth, it is incumbent upon the attending medical staff to detect the problem and recommend appropriate treatments. If the condition is detected at birth, the newborn is placed into a Pavlik harness, which is a soft positioning device that holds the hip joints in the proper positions while they develop.

At Pegalis & Erickson, LLC, our medical malpractice lawyers approach every case with the dignity and sensitivity that patients deserve. If your child has birth injuries or may have suffered from other forms of pediatric medical malpractice, you can speak with one of our medical malpractice attorneys in Long Island, New York. Call (516) 684-2900 today for a free consultation.

In some cases, a birth trauma has its roots in an incident that happens during labor, but in other instances, medical negligence outside of the delivery room is to blame. Prenatal care is essential for your baby’s health and can also contribute to an easier labor and delivery. When medical negligence occurs during prenatal care, birth injuries could be the result.

Without proper prenatal care, doctors may not diagnose infections in the mother that can cause birth injuries in babies. They may also fail to diagnose conditions that require additional precautions to be taken in the delivery room, such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

If you’re concerned that poor prenatal care resulted in an injury to your child, consult with a medical malpractice lawyer at Pegalis and Erickson. Make an appointment to review your case with an experienced malpractice and birth injury lawyer on Long Island, New York today by calling (516) 684-2900.

What Are the Signs of a Delayed C-Section?
During the labor and delivery process, both mother and baby should be closely monitored at all times for signs of distress. Failing to do so can lead to serious complications, including delays in necessary C-section procedures. When a C-section is delayed, the risk of injury to mother and baby alike can increase. If you are concerned that a delayed C-section harmed you or your baby, consult a medical malpractice lawyer. An experience birth injury lawyer can evaluate your case and determine if there is evidence of medical negligence. Here are some signs that a C-section was not performed as quickly as it should have been.

Cerebral Palsy
When a C-section is not performed as soon as a doctor determines it is medically necessary, the baby is at risk of not receiving adequate levels of oxygen. As a result, cerebral palsy may occur. Cerebral palsy can cause a lifetime of complications for affected people, including speech problems and mobility issues. The expense of caring for a child with cerebral palsy is extremely high, so a medical malpractice lawyer may be able to help you get compensation to help cover some of these costs if a birth injury is to blame.

Intellectual Disabilities
The lack of oxygen caused by delayed C-sections isn’t only linked to cerebral palsy. Other kinds of brain damage can occur that can lead to intellectual disabilities, including below-average IQ and developmental delays. These disabilities can directly impact a child’s ability to care for him or herself or become financially self-sufficient in the future.

Medical malpractice in the delivery room can have far-reaching consequences. Pegalis and Erickson, LLC is here to help families get the compensation they deserve when life-changing birth injuries occur. Talk to a birth injury lawyer on Long Island, New York today by calling (516) 684-2900.

Cortical blindness, or cortical visual impairment (CVI), is a visual problem that occurs because of a neurological injury. For children in developed nations, it is among the most common causes of vision problems. Usually, children with cortical blindness have normal eye exams but still have vision difficulties, caused by a problem in the part of the brain that is responsible for vision. Cortical blindness can often be the result of a birth injury that leaves the brain starved of oxygen.

It may not be immediately obvious that an infant has cortical blindness. Rather, parents may notice that he or she doesn’t react normally to visual stimuli. Eye tests for these infants will be normal, but the symptoms of vision impairment will be obvious. Infections and head injuries caused during birth through medical negligence are frequently to blame.

If your infant has cortical blindness, talk to a birth injury lawyer at Pegalis & Erickson. One of our medical malpractice lawyers on Long Island, New York can help you determine if you should consider filing a birth injury case for your child’s medical expenses. Set up a consultation by calling (516) 684-2900.