Untreated Jaundice

Birth Injury Lawyers Representing Families in the Boston Area

If you are expecting a baby, there are likely countless concerns that you are facing. You want to know that your medical professionals are doing everything that they can to ensure that your baby enters this world safe and sound. Most of us rely on medical professionals to help diagnose various health conditions and to help us ensure that we address any emerging problems before they become too severe. Unfortunately, many medical professionals fail to treat patients according to the minimum level of care that Massachusetts law requires, resulting in serious and sometimes fatal consequences for a mother and child. This can happen even with relatively straightforward medical conditions, such as jaundice. If left untreated, jaundice can pose serious health risks to an infant. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, our Boston birth injury lawyers proudly provide diligent legal counsel to injured children and their families.

Complications Arising From Untreated Jaundice

Jaundice is a common complication facing newborn babies. It is not considered a serious illness at first because it can be treated and resolved if it is addressed in time. If it is not treated promptly, however, it can cause serious illnesses and complications for an infant. Also known as hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice results when there is an excess of bilirubin in a newborn’s bloodstream. This is a protein that is produced when red blood cells break down. Jaundice happens because the baby’s liver is not developed enough to flush the bilirubin from their bloodstream. Some of the most common signs indicating that a baby has jaundice include yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice is so common in newborn babies that hospitals routinely test an infant’s bilirubin levels before discharging the baby.

If a baby is diagnosed with jaundice, there is a chance that the condition will resolve without medical treatment. In other instances, mild treatments may be necessary, such as light therapy to help break down the bilirubin in the bloodstream. Many hospitals have protocols in place to ensure that medical professionals, including nurses, identify and treat jaundice appropriately. If it is not treated, the excess levels of bilirubin can cause long-term brain damage, known as kernicterus. Some common outcomes of this condition include hearing loss, brain damage, and lack of motor control over muscle movements.

Establish Your Right to Compensation Based on Untreated Jaundice

If your baby suffered injuries as a result of a medical professional’s failure to diagnose jaundice, you may be entitled to receive damages through a medical malpractice action. There are several things that your lawyer must prove in order to be entitled to compensation from the medical professionals who caused your baby unnecessary harm. In general, Massachusetts law expects all medical professionals to treat patients according to the generally accepted practices and protocols in that particular specialty, taking into account a patient’s background, pre-existing conditions, and general health. Since jaundice is so common, most hospitals have protocols for staff to follow to identify jaundice. Next, we must prove that the defendant’s failure to treat your baby according to this standard of care was the direct cause of the injuries that your baby sustained. As for damages, a plaintiff in a medical malpractice action can recover compensation for any medical expenses associated with the injury, lost income as a result of caring for your sick infant, and compensation to address the baby’s long-term injuries and medical care needs.

Speak With an Experienced Boston Attorney About Your Malpractice Case

Realizing that your baby suffered harm as a result of a medical professional’s carelessness is devastating, especially if your child is facing a lifetime of disabilities as a result. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, we can provide you with the personalized legal counsel that you require during this difficult time. Our attorneys have represented people in cities such as Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Quincy, Dedham, Norwood, Brookline, Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Plymouth, Worcester, Lawrence, and Springfield. To learn more about your legal rights and how we may be able to assist you, call us at 1-800-379-1244 or contact us online.