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Perinatal Stroke Malpractice Lawyers

Malpractice Lawyers for Perinatal Strokes in Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY

In a world of endless choices when it comes to parenting styles, sleep-training methods, and the latest “must-have” maternity products, parents can have a hard time finding common ground. If there’s one thing every parent can agree on, it’s the desire to have a healthy, happy newborn baby. Unfortunately, during pregnancy and labor, any number of things can go wrong. Some complications are unavoidable, but others are totally preventable with proper medical care. Unfortunately, negligent healthcare providers can cause severe injuries to your newborn shortly before, during, or after labor.

Preventable complications, such as perinatal strokes, for example, can have drastic consequences on you and your family. Most people associate strokes with older people or those with conditions like high blood pressure. However, under certain circumstances, babies can also suffer from this devastating condition.

Perinatal Stroke Malpractice Lawyers

If your child’s stroke was caused or made worse by medical malpractice, you have legal options available. This is where the Cincinnati and Covington medical malpractice lawyers from TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm can help.

Covington & Cincinnati Medical Malpractice Attorneys for Perinatal/Focal Ischemic Stroke

At TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm, our Ohio and Kentucky birth injury attorneys know how traumatizing birth injuries can be on both the birth parent and the baby. Perinatal strokes, or strokes that occur during and around the time of  birth, can have devastating effects. Perinatal and neonatal strokes occur in one out of every 2800 babies, though this number is likely underestimated. In some cases (around 40%), the baby will not have immediate symptoms but will have delays in movement or development. 

If your child suffered a stroke as an infant and is now having trouble meeting all their milestones, you may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim against the medical professionals who contributed to their injury. For a free consultation, call us today at (800) 698-4054. Our birth injury attorneys can help you determine if you have a medical malpractice claim for a perinatal or neonatal stroke and support you through this difficult time. 

What is a Perinatal Stroke?

The term ‘perinatal’ simply means ‘around birth.’ As such, a perinatal stroke is a stroke that occurs in an infant shortly before, during, or after birth. Strokes occur when something causes an interruption in the blood supply to the brain. Depending on the type of stroke, it could be a blood clot that blocks blood flow or a burst blood vessel that leaks blood into the brain. 

A stroke is a medical emergency that healthcare providers are trained to recognize. Unfortunately, many doctors are only trained in recognizing stroke symptoms in adults. Things like muscle weakness, speech difficulties, and face numbness are nearly impossible to identify in infants, as they cannot verbalize these symptoms themselves. In many cases, healthcare professionals cannot pinpoint the exact cause of the stroke or when it happened. 

Perinatal Stroke vs. Neonatal Stroke

A perinatal stroke will often be called a neonatal stroke, fetal stroke, prenatal stroke, or newborn stroke, depending on when the stroke occurred. A perinatal stroke is a stroke that occurs anywhere between 22 weeks gestation and up to seven days after birth. A neonatal stroke occurs after birth but before the baby is a month old. Both neonatal and perinatal strokes can lead to severe injuries in your newborn. Your doctor may also classify the stroke based on what caused it.

Perinatal and Neonatal Stroke Birth Injury Lawyers

Types of Stroke

Strokes can happen in one of two ways: a blocked artery or a ruptured artery. In both cases, the blood supply to some parts of the brain is blocked. When this happens, brain cells begin to die within minutes. Strokes can cause extensive brain damage, especially when it’s not treated in a timely manner

Hemorrhagic Strokes

A hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel or artery in the brain ruptures. This causes blood to enter the brain freely and causes intense pressure on the delicate organ. Hemorrhagic strokes are not as common in infants. 

Ischemic Strokes

Unlike hemorrhagic strokes, ischemic strokes happen when an artery is blocked and parts of the brain lose blood supply. This block is usually caused by a blood clot. Most strokes are ischemic strokes, and they are also the most common form of stroke in children and teens. 

What is a Perinatal Arterial Ischemic Stroke?

Perinatal arterial ischemic strokes are the most common form of stroke in children. This form of stroke happens when something causes reduced blood flow to some parts of the brain. This can be a blood clot, narrow arteries, or structural abnormalities in the brain. This type of stroke is often marked by seizures and is difficult to pinpoint, but it has been linked to infections, heart defects, blood-clotting disorders, and trauma to the head and neck. 

What are Potential Causes of Perinatal Stroke

There is no cut-and-dry cause of perinatal strokes. Some complications during pregnancy can put the baby at a higher risk of a perinatal stroke, but the true cause of most perinatal strokes is unknown. The largest contributing factor to this kind of injury is medical error. If your child’s injury was caused by a negligent medical professional, they can and should be held responsible for their medical negligence. 

Medical Errors

Some perinatal and neonatal strokes are unforeseen and entirely unpreventable. Unfortunately, negligent medical professionals can contribute to perinatal and neonatal strokes. This includes:

Your medical provider has a duty to provide the best care possible to you and your baby at this extremely vulnerable time. Doctors should be able to recognize and treat many life-threatening complications associated with pregnancy and delivery, including perinatal strokes. 

Failure to order a C-section when the fetus is in distress is linked to perinatal strokes, as are congenital heart defects and infections. Your doctor should perform the necessary tests and treatments for these conditions. Failing to do so can result in serious injuries for both you and your baby.

Perinatal Stroke Birth Injury Attorney

Symptoms of a Perinatal Stroke

Many infants show no symptoms of a perinatal stroke until after birth, but some infants may experience immediate symptoms. Immediate symptoms may include:

  • Seizures
  • Difficulty feeding
  • Increased irritability
  • Extreme fatigue or sleepiness

Some of the more long-term symptoms of a perinatal stroke include:

  • Tendency to use only one side of the body
  • Favoring one hand while keeping the other in a fist
  • Developmental delays

If you recognize any of these symptoms in your baby, it’s important to get help from your doctor. Unfortunately, many doctors will try to downplay their involvement in any negligence. This is why it’s important to work with an Ohio and Kentucky birth injury attorney at TLF. We have the knowledge and experience to perform a thorough investigation into your baby’s injuries.

If you have reason to believe your child’s injuries were caused by medical malpractice or negligence, contact the medical malpractice attorneys at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm for a free case evaluation today.

Perinatal Stroke Risk Factors and Complications

Some babies have a higher risk of suffering from a perinatal stroke. Maternal cocaine use, smoking, maternal diabetes, congenital heart defects, and some infections all contribute to the risk of suffering from a perinatal stroke. Your doctor should perform the proper prenatal care and keep an eye out for risk factors that can contribute to the risk of perinatal strokes. If your doctor fails to diagnose and treat conditions linked to perinatal strokes, your baby could suffer from physical and neurological impairment.

Injuries Caused by Perinatal and Neonatal Strokes

Oxygen deprivation in an infant’s brain can cause extensive injuries, especially if the doctor doesn’t catch it and treat it in time. Up to 60% of perinatal stroke cases result in cerebral palsy. In addition to cerebral palsy, many birth injuries can be caused or made worse by perinatal and neonatal stroke, including:

In some cases, evidence of a perinatal stroke isn’t discovered until the child is older, and diagnosing a perinatal stroke after the fact can be difficult. Most doctors use a combination of brain imaging scans and blood tests to diagnose a perinatal stroke. While some babies may make a full recovery, they likely will be dependent on round-the-clock care and extensive therapy for the rest of the child’s life. These costs can quickly add up and put the family in severe financial distress. If your baby’s injury was caused by medical negligence or pediatric malpractice, you have every right to seek compensation for your losses. An experienced attorney at TLF can help you do just that.

Perinatal Stroke Malpractice Attorneys

Can You File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit for Perinatal Strokes?

Establishing an attorney-client relationship with an experienced medical injury attorney can help you during this overwhelming and emotional time. Recovering from a perinatal or neonatal stroke birth injury often involves an excess of expensive medical bills and time away from work for the parents. Some children need constant care, attention and therapies, which often requires one parent to stay home full-time and/or the help of an in-house care practitioner. Suddenly losing an income can put a huge financial burden on your family, especially with the added costs of medical care for your child. 

If your baby suffered at the hands of a medical provider who was supposed to care for them, you can recover compensation for your losses. Working with an experienced birth injury attorney from TLF can mean you spend all the time you need with your baby while we fight to get the best results for you. 

Why You Need a Stroke Birth Injury Lawyer from TLF

If your child suffered a perinatal stroke, you are anxious to find answers and hold the negligent medical providers accountable. Luckily, the Ohio and Kentucky birth injury lawyers at TLF: The Medical Injury Law Firm can help. Our dedicated legal team has the experience and knowledge necessary to prove the legal elements of medical malpractice and get you the resources you need to recover. We can answer all of your questions and go over what to expect when working with our firm. 

For a free consultation in your case, call us today at (800) 698-4054. You can also reach us at our Kentucky office by calling (859) 578-9130, our Ohio office at (513) 651-4130, or by completing our intake form on our website.

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You Pay No Fees Unless We Win!

We are happy to offer a free consultation to evaluate your case. If you hire us as your legal counsel, we will represent you on a contingency-fee basis. You will pay no attorneys’ fees unless we recover financial damages.