Neonatal Subgaleal Hemorrhages

Did Your Child Suffer A Serious Birth Injury?

Birth injuries often put the life of a newborn child in danger, and neonatal subgaleal hemorrhages are no different. This type of life-threatening injury occurs when the veins connecting the intracranial venous sinuses, or emissary veins, and the extracranial venous system burst. After this happens, blood can rapidly fill up the subgaleal space, which is the area between the child’s skull and scalp. This space is large enough to contain just about half of the child’s blood, and depending on how quickly a medical professional can identify this bleeding, the child could suffer permanent brain damage or even die.

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At Aldous \ Walker LLP, our Texas medical malpractice attorneys are committed to providing injured victims and their families with the dedicated and passionate legal representation they need to secure the outcome they deserve. Medical malpractice is the number one cause of neonatal subgaleal hemorrhages, and you should never be expected to cover the medical bills or additional damages of a serious birth injury when the negligence or wrongdoing of your doctor is the cause of the problem in the first place. If your child suffered a serious birth injury, contact our firm today to discuss your case and begin planning your next steps.

What Causes Neonatal Subgaleal Hemorrhages?

Experts report that approximately 90 percent of all neonatal subgaleal hemorrhages are caused by the improper use of a vacuum extractor. These injuries can be caused by a number of actions, including:

• Improperly attaching the vacuum extractor’s suction cup on the head of the child before beginning extraction.
• Using excessive force when attempting to extract the child.
• Using excessive force when attaching the vacuum extractor’s suction cup to the child’s head.
• Attempting to use the vacuum extractor for an extended period of time.
• Leaving the vacuum extractor’s suction cup attached to the head of the child for an extended amount of time.

About 25 percent of children who suffer from a neonatal subgaleal hemorrhage end up dying due to their injuries according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Officials have known about the dangers of a vacuum extractor for years now, and in a public health advisory released nearly two decades ago, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that:

“While no instrumented delivery is risk free, we are concerned that some health care professionals who use vacuum assisted delivery devices, or those who care for these infants following delivery, may not be aware that the device may produce life-threatening complications.”

If the child is left untreated for an extended period of time, they could go into shock. Their head will continue to swell as the bleeding continues, and this blood loss can cause their heart rate to drop, have trouble feeding and breathing, become lethargic, develop pale skin, and even seize. Even if treatment saves the injured child’s life, they could still suffer from a number of developmental disorders including:

• Cerebral palsy
• Brain damage
• Seizure disorders
• Hydrocephalus
• Intellectual disabilities
• Developmental delays
• Dangerously high bilirubin levels

Call us at (214) 307-6307 to speak with one of our attorneys at Aldous \ Walker LLP today.

Hire The Legal Representation You Need Today

Serious birth injuries often cause permanent damage, and can put a significant amount of stress on a family whether it is young or old. At Aldous \ Walker LLP, our Texas medical malpractice lawyers have secured billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients, and are committed to providing every new client we accept with the passionate legal representation they deserve to secure the outcome they need. Send us a message through our online form, or call us at (214) 307-6307 to speak with a member of our firm today.