Birth Injuries from Mismanaged Hypoglycemia in Oregon

Sometimes, the birth of a child can be met with great anxiety if complications arise. Some complications may be minor and easily corrected, while other complications may require more invasive interventions and may require the baby to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit. Some complications can occur during labor and delivery while others arise shortly after birth. One example of a complication that is often considered as minor but can become much more serious if improperly managed is hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can occur for many reasons, but what is most important is that interventions occur in a timely manner to prevent any harm to the baby. Failure to properly diagnose and manage hypoglycemia at birth that leads to injury is considered to be negligence and birth injuries. 

Mismanaged hypoglycemia can result in a lot of personal injuries for a baby, including those which could result in permanent disability, injuries, and damage to a baby’s developing body.  It is difficult to truly assess the full extent of these injuries until the child grows older, but damage can be extensive.  Our medical malpractice lawyer in Oregon knows this to be true, which is why he handled some of the most catastrophic birth injury cases throughout the Oregon and Minnesota.  We will review your case for FREE and, if we accept it, we will conduct a full investigation to learn what happened and to prove liability.

Hypoglycemia Explained

Hypoglycemia refers to a person’s blood glucose level. It can be dangerous if a blood glucose level is too high or too low. In the case of hypoglycemia, a person’s blood glucose level is too low. This can lead to serious harm to the person, especially if it is a baby. For an adult, the normal range for blood glucose is 60-100mg/dL, while for a baby, they are considered to have hypoglycemia if their blood sugar is 40mg/dL or below. 

Injuries Resulting From Mismanaged Hypoglycemia

Sadly, while hypoglycemia can be very manageable, there are instances in which healthcare providers fail to properly diagnose and intervene. In these cases, babies often suffer harm. Examples of harm from neonatal hypoglycemia include the following:

• Seizures
• Brain damage
• Heart failure
• Cerebral palsy
• Visual deficits
• Hypoxia
• Learning disabilities

Signs Your Newborn May Be Suffering From Neonatal Hypoglycemia

There are certain signs that your newborn may be suffering from neonatal hypoglycemia. Signs and symptoms of neonatal hypoglycemia include the following:

• Sweating
• Shakiness
• Rapid breathing
• Irritability
• Skin that appears pale
• Apnea
• Skin that appears cyanotic (blue)
• Vomiting
• Impaired ability to feed properly
• Inability to properly regulate temperature
• Grunting
• Hypotonic (floppy) muscles

If your child was diagnosed with hypoglycemia, exhibited any of the following but received a delay in care leading to harm, your child’s case should be reviewed with an experienced lawyer to determine if the harm your child experienced was due to a deviation in the standard of care. Additionally, it is important to mention that if a mother experiences hypoglycemia that goes untreated, it can also lead to serious harm of her baby. 

Medical Malpractice Related to the Diagnosis and Management of Hypoglycemia

As mentioned above, hypoglycemia can easily be treated. Babies with hypoglycemia are commonly treated either with breast milk or formula, or may require the use of glucagon to increase their blood glucose level. Unfortunately, serious harm can result from a healthcare provider’s mistake, such as a delay in diagnosis or treatment. While this may not be intentional, if a child suffers harm this is not acceptable. Examples of medical malpractice relating to neonatal hypoglycemia include the following:

• Failure to diagnose neonatal hypoglycemia
• Failure to diagnose maternal hypoglycemia 
• Failure to treat a newborn’s hypoglycemia
• Failure to properly monitor a baby diagnosed with hypoglycemia
• Improper management of a mother or baby’s hypoglycemia
• Dismissal of a mother’s concerns regarding her baby that are due to hypoglycemia

Medical Malpractice in Oregon Causing Injuries: What Compensation Could You Get?

There are many forms of damages, or compensation, that you could obtain in a medical malpractice case.  This includes for a baby that was injured and suffered birth injuries from mismanaged hypoglycemia.  This is a very serious health complication that can have long time and long lasting injuries, including permanent damage or even wrongful death with preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Some of the most common damages that you may be entitled to in this type of case include the following:

• Past pain and suffering
• Future pain and suffering
• Medical bills
• Lost future earning capacity 
• Nursing care and help, including in a nursing home
• Future medical bills and expenses for surgeries or treatment
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other types of treatment
• Punitive damages
• Loss of consortium
• Home and vehicle modifications 
• Assisting living costs
• Lost wages for parents
• Emotional harm and distress, and
• Many other common types of damages that a medical malpractice lawyer in Oregon may be able to obtain for you in a settlement, verdict, or other award.

Call Our Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyer if Birth Injuries from Mismanaged Hypoglycemia Hurt Your Baby

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form.  We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.

Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton,  Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles,  St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.

We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.