Important Facts About Cerebral Palsy: Signs & Symptoms

Every year thousands of expectant parents and new born babies suffer birth injuries that might have been prevented.

One of the most common birth injuries is cerebral palsy. At The Yost Legal Group, we want to help spread awareness about cerebral palsy by providing facts and resources to help families.

Does my Child have Cerebral Palsy?

It can be extremely difficult for parents and even for doctors to recognize the early signs of cerebral palsy in new born babies. Some children do not demonstrate the early signs of cerebral palsy until they are three or even four years old.

However, some early signs to watch for that may be evidence of cerebral palsy include:

  • In Babies Younger than 6 Months: Your baby feels either extremely stiff or extremely floppy when held. When picked up and cradled, your baby’s legs may become stiff and cross or scissor, and your baby’s head may lag.
  • In Babies Older than 6 Months: Your baby cannot roll over in either direction; cannot bring his or her hands together; or, your baby has difficulty bringing his or her hands to his mouth, and cannot reach out with both hands simultaneously.
  • In Babies Older than 10 Months: Your baby cannot crawl on all fours; or, your baby either crawls by reaching out with one hand and leg while dragging the other, or moves by either hopping on his knees or scooting on his buttocks.

Cerebral palsy can take many forms, meaning that a child may have cerebral palsy even if he or she does not demonstrate all of the above behaviors. One of the most reliable ways for you as parents to spot the early signs of cerebral palsy is to closely monitor your child’s development.

If you notice that your  baby is not reaching certain developmental milestones within your pediatrician’s timeframe, such developmental delay could be an early indication of cerebral palsy.

What is Developmental Delay?

All children will grow and mature at their own pace, but there are certain markers of movement and motor function that indicate that a child is developing at a normal rate. Developmental Delay occurs when a child fails to reach specific motor skill milestones in a timely manner. Below are some important milestones for motor-skill development, along with when they usually occur:

  • Around 6 weeks: Child can begin to smile
  • Around 3 to 4 months: Child can reach for toys and roll on to their back
  • Around 6 to 7 months: Child can sit up on their own
  • Around 10 to 14 months: Child begins to walk

It is important to note that if your child has not reached one or more of these milestones in the suggested time frame, it does not necessarily mean they have cerebral palsy; however, these milestones often offer a strong early indicator of the disability.

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?

If you notice any of the above signs or early indications of Developmental Delay, it is important to see a doctor right away. When examining a child and attempting to detect cerebral palsy, doctors will focus on eight clinical signs related to:

  • Muscle tone
  • Movement Coordination and Control
  • Reflex
  • Posture
  • Balance
  • Gross Motor Function
  • Fine Motor Function
  • Oral Motor Function

Each one of these eight clinical signs has certain criteria and symptoms that doctors will closely monitor during an examination. Doctors will examine a child to see if there is evidence of developmental impairment in any or all of these categories.

Protecting The Rights of Families and Children

Cerebral palsy is a permanent injury that often requires a lifetime of medical care and therapy. The cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy or any birth injury can be astronomical. If your child’s injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

The Yost Legal Group’s Baltimore Medical Malpractice and Birth Injury law firm, will work hard to secure the justice and financial compensation you and your family deserve.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) to receive a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation about your birth injury case. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. If we take your case, our legal team will investigate every detail surrounding your child’s birth injury and will help provide the answers you seek.

At The Yost Legal Group, you will never pay an attorney’s fee unless we achieve a recovery for you. We don’t get paid until you do.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Study Reveals 210,000 Americans Die Each Year Because of Medical Mistakes

Every year, millions of Americans rely on the skill and experience of surgeons, doctors and medical professionals to perform operations that can save, or at least greatly improve, their lives. Unfortunately, despite the high level of training and dedication exhibited by the majority of medical professionals, accidents do happen.

At The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death law firm, our attorneys are all too familiar with the risks and serious injuries that can result from even the most common and routine surgical procedure.

When patients suffer injuries or complications after undergoing surgery, the results can be catastrophic. Surgical error, wrong diagnosis, post-surgical complications and other types of medical mistakes affect thousands of Americans every year.

One 2013 study conducted by the Journal of Patient Safety estimated that as many as 210,000 Americans are killed every year from medical mistakes in hospitals that could have been prevented.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) ranked medical error as the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind only heart disease and cancer.

These statistics about medical mistakes in the United States are staggering. There is now some research that could provide patients with the information necessary to avoid risky surgical procedures or under-qualified doctors.

A new study from USA Today and the independent journal outlet ProPublica attempts to provide patients with data on how they can lower their odds of suffering complications, revision surgeries or other medical errors during common surgical procedures.

The study, known as the Surgeon Scorecard, examines complication rates associated with eight types of common elective medical procedures. This data is applied to over 16,000 surgeons from across the country, and determines what is known as an “Adjusted Complication Rate.”

This statistic allows patients to independently research the likelihood of suffering post-surgical complications when seeing a specific surgeon, or undergoing a specific procedure. ProPublica and USA Today state that they hope the end result of this effort will be to give patients more control over when, where and with whom their surgeries take place.

By giving patients access to more information, these journals hope that doctors and hospitals will be held to a higher standard of accountability, and rates of medical malpractice and surgical error will drop throughout the country.

Here are a few statistics that reveal how this study was conducted:

  • USA Today and ProPublica took their patient sample from Medicare billing records for in-patient hospital stays between 2009 and 2013.
  • The study examined eight common, elective surgical procedures including knee replacement, hip replacement, gallbladder removal, lumbar spinal fusion, prostate removal, and more.
  • During the course of this study, it was found that between 2009 and 2013, 63,173 Medicare patients were readmitted to hospitals with post-surgical complications.
  • These 63,173 re-hospitalizations cost U.S taxpayers an estimated $645 million.
  • Between 2009 and 2013, 3,405 Medicare patients died during a hospital stay for an elective surgery.

At The Yost Legal Group, we take patient safety and recovery extremely seriously. Our attorneys have years of experience fighting to defend the rights of innocent people who were harmed by all types of Medical Malpractice, including Wrong Diagnosis, Surgical Error, Defective Medications, Defective Medical Devices and more.

Common post-surgical complications can include:

  • Blood clots
  • Infection
  • Severe Pain
  • Less healing than anticipated
  • Revision surgery

If you or a loved one has been injured by a medical mistake contact The Yost Legal Group. We will speak with you and answer any questions you may have.

Call The Yost Legal Group right away at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) to receive a confidential and no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice lawyers.  There is no fee or cost to you unless you receive a settlement or jury award.

If you have been injured through no fault of your own after undergoing a medical procedure, do not delay. Strict time limitations govern when claims must be filed.  Call The Yost Legal Group today. Our lawyers will fight to defend your rights as a victim and provide the answers you seek.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Expanded Recall of Contaminated Injectable Cancer Drugs

In late April of 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced drug manufacturer Mylan N.V.’s recall of batches of contaminated Gemcitabine, an injectable drug used to treat ovarian, breast, pancreatic and certain types of lung cancer, after testing revealed that the batches contained foreign substances  that can be extremely harmful to patients. Intravenous injection of medications contaminated with foreign particles can damage blood vessels and can cause emboli to develop, which can in turn lead to strokes, myocardial infarctions, and other serious complications, including:

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Stroke
  • Respiratory failure
  • Loss of liver or kidney function
  • Inflammation, allergic reaction or tissue necrosis at the injection site

In June of 2015, Mylan expanded its recall to include seven batches of contaminated Gemcitabine injectables.

When drug manufacturers produce medications that harm patients, they must be held responsible for these adverse drug reactions. At The Yost Legal Group, we stand up to large drug manufacturers and fight to secure and to protect the rights of our clients. Thousands of patients are negatively impacted each year by defective pharmaceutical drugs.

The batches of recalled Gemcitabine were distributed in the U.S between January 8, 2014 and February 10, 2015, and thousands of patients were put at risk. If you believe that you or a loved one was injured or experienced complications after taking the cancer medication Gemcitabine, you may be entitled to compensation.

Call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) today for a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation about your case. The experienced Baltimore Defective Drug lawyers at The Yost Legal Group will help protect your rights and work to provide the answers you seek. When you trust our law firm to represent you, you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front.

If you were the victim of a vaccine injury or defective medication, don’t delay, call The Yost Legal Group now. Time may be running out to file a claim. All cases are handled on a no win, no fee basis.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

National “Heads Up” Program Raises Awareness about Head Injuries in High School Sports

With another school year just around the corner, many high schools across Maryland have already begun summer training sessions for student athletes. Fortunately for parents, coaches and players, there will be an increased emphasis this year on preventing concussions and head injuries for high school athletes, specifically football players.

A new national initiative called “Heads Up Football” will help educate coaches on the best techniques and latest methods of protecting their players from sustaining serious brain injuries.

Heads Up Football will be running concussion-prevention workshops for coaches throughout Maryland this summer leading up to the 2015/16 high school football season. These workshops combine on-field training with classroom-style learning courses that will instruct coaches on new methods to teach and play the game in a safer way.

All coaches will be required to familiarize themselves with topics such as proper hydration and helmet fitting, as well as the Center for Disease Control’s Concussion Recognition Protocols.

One of the biggest points of emphasis of the Heads Up Football program is quick recognition of concussion-like symptoms in players, as well as on the need to remove any athlete from the field immediately if a coach or parent believes they may have sustained a head injury.

Heads Up Football warns coaches and parents to be on the lookout for the following symptoms, as they may be signs of a concussion or even a Traumatic Brain Injury:

  • Headache or “pressure” in head
  • Sensitivity to light or noise
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness or loss of balance
  • Blurred or double vision
  • Feeling confused, sluggish, groggy or hazy
  • Concentration or memory problems

Concussions and brain injuries are extremely dangerous, especially for young people whose brains are still developing. Traumatic Bain Injuries, which can be caused by extreme or repetitive head trauma, are notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, and may result in permanent disabilities and a lifetime of medical care. Tragically, it is estimated that millions of high school athletes across the country may be exposed to these types of serious head injuries every year.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that approximately 3.8 million athletes between the ages of 8 and 19 reported sustaining a sports-related concussion in 2012. This number represents a 50% increase in the amount of reported sports-related concussions compared to the same age group 10 years ago.

Part of this increase may be due to increased knowledge about the symptoms of concussions leading to more treatment and reported cases. However, it is also clear that many head injuries remain undiagnosed when players attempt to “play through the pain” and remain in a game after suffering a concussion.

At The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore, Maryland Brain Injury and Personal Injury law firm, we urge parents of high school athletes to take the time to familiarize yourself with the Center for Disease Control’s concussion fact sheet. No game is more important than a child’s long-term health, especially when it comes to head and brain injuries.

If you or a loved one has sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury, concussion, or any other type of serious brain or spinal cord injury in an accident that was not your fault, call the experienced Baltimore Brain Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group.

Call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) to receive a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation with one of our attorneys. Our lawyers will work closely with you and your family to protect your rights, handle all of the details of your case, and seek the justice that you deserve.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

New Warning Labels for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS)

In the wake of new research indicating increased risks of heart attacks and strokes, the FDA is requiring new warning labels for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, which for years have been viewed largely as reliable, over-the-counter solutions to a myriad of common health problems.

On July 9th, 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they will create new boxed warnings to alert consumers of the severe health risks that may accompany taking products containing NSAIDs.

NSAIDs are found in many common, over-the-counter drugs that could be in your home’s medicine cabinet or first-aid kit right now. Common NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen can be found in pain medications such as:

  • Motrin
  • Advil
  • Aleve

These types of anti-inflammatory and pain relieving drugs have a wide range of uses, and are used to treat conditions such as:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Gout
  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Tendonitis
  • Common athletic injuries such as strains and sprains
  • Menstrual cramps
  • And more

Research shows, however, that NSAIDs are not nearly as safe as was previously believed. The new warnings indicate that, even within the first few weeks of using a new NSAID medication, patients can experience an increased risk of suffering a serious heart attack or stroke. It is now also believed that this risk may continue to increase the longer a patient remains on an NSAID medication. The FDA recommends that consumers keep the following facts in mind before taking an NSAID:

  • Never take more than one type of NSAID at a time and do not mix medications.
  • Carefully read and understand the warning labels on all medication before beginning treatment.
  • If you have high blood pressure, have previously suffered a heart attack, stroke, or suffer from cardiovascular disease, be especially careful when taking NSAIDs and consult your doctor before taking these drugs.

The warnings also advise patients to stop taking NSAIDs and seek immediate medical attention if they experience any of the following symptoms, as they may be an indication of heart attack or stroke:

  • Chest pain
  • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
  • Slurred speech
  • Shooting pain or weakness in one part or side of the body

Heart attack and stroke are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The Center for Disease Control estimates that approximately 735,000 Americans experience a heart attack every year, and another 795,000 people suffer a stroke. When prescription or over-the-counter medications are found to increase the average American’s likelihood of suffering one of these debilitating medical emergencies, it is vitally important that everyone is aware of the risks.

Heart attacks and strokes are life-threatening experiences and may result in permanent injury, loss of physical or mental capabilities, and a lifetime of care and treatment.

If you or a loved one has suffered from a heart attack or stroke that you believe was brought on by a defective, dangerous drug, call The Yost Legal Group right away.

Our experienced Baltimore Defective Drug and Personal Injury lawyers have years of experience. We represent people who have been injured after taking a medication that caused a serious adverse reaction.

Call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) today to speak with one of our experienced, compassionate Baltimore Defective Drug lawyers. We will provide a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation and will help you understand the details of your case.

At The Yost Legal Group, our attorneys have both the medical and legal knowledge necessary to provide the answers you seek.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Lawyers Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Happy 4th of July from The Yost Legal Group!

The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore, Maryland Personal Injury law firm, would like to wish all of our friends and clients a happy and healthy 4th of July weekend! We encourage everyone in the beautiful city of Baltimore and across the nation to take time this weekend to spend time with family, enjoy the summer weather, and celebrate our Nation’s independence safely and responsibly.

Remember, even the most joyous celebrations can become dangerous in the blink of an eye. This 4th of July weekend, make sure to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that your party or family gathering is a fun and safe environment for everyone.

Here are some tips to remember while celebrating this weekend:

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend, and happy 4th of July from The Yost Legal Group!

If you or a loved one is ever injured in an accident that was caused by the negligence of another, call The Yost Legal Group right away at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529). Our experienced, compassionate Baltimore Personal Injury attorneys will review the details of your case for FREE and can help provide the answers you seek.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

MedExpress Urgent Care Center in LaVale Sexual Assault Claims

MedExpress Urgent Care Center in LaVale, Maryland, Hired Convicted Rapist

Many Women Were Victims of Inappropriate Conduct.

The MedExpress Urgent Care Center in LaVale, MD hired convicted rapist Dr. William Dando in May of 2013, where he worked until he was fired in June of 2014.  During Dr. Dando’s employment at MedExpress in LaVale, Maryland, he came in contact with thousands of female patients. Sadly, it is now coming to light that numerous women were inappropriately touched, had unnecessary examinations, and were put through trauma by this convicted felon.

Dr. Dando’s offenses in this case represent the absolute worst example of Doctor-Patient betrayal imaginable, and hundreds of former patients in Maryland may have been harmed by his heinous and despicable behavior. The bond between patient and physician is one of the most intensely personal and important relationships we have in our lives, and the MedExpress Urgent Care Center violated the rights of their patients by exposing them to this criminal.

In 1987, Dr. William Dando was convicted of sexual assault in Miami, Florida following an incident where he broke into a woman’s home and committed an act of violent sexual assault. Dr. Dando was convicted by a jury of his peers and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his crimes. However, he was released from prison after serving less than 4 years of his sentence and, inexplicably, was able to obtain a license to practice medicine in Maryland in 1996.

The Maryland Board of Physicians now admits that it failed to properly investigate Dr. Dando before granting him this license, and the Board’s failure in this case lead to a violent and dangerous sexual predator being granted access to the most personal information and settings involving his female patients.

Dr. Dando began practicing at the MedExpress Urgent Care Center in LaVale, MD in May of 2013. From May 2013 to June 2014, Dr. Dando was given free access to female patients that were unaware of his violent and brutal history of sexual assault.

Less than a year after securing the position at MedExpress Urgent Care Center, Dr. Dando was once again indicted by an Allegany County grand jury and charged with “fourth degree sexual offense and unnatural or perverted practice” on a female patient. His license to practice medicine in Maryland was finally suspended on June 5, 2014, but not until thousands of female patients had been exposed to his abhorrent behavior.

A civil case brought against Dando by one female patient who was molested while in his medical office settled on June 24, 2015 for an undisclosed amount. The plaintiff was one of three women who stepped forward and accused Dr. Dando of touching them inappropriately at the LaVale, MD MedExpress Urgent Care Center. However, it is likely that hundreds or thousands of other patients were also exposed to Dr. Dando’s criminal behavior, but have not yet come forward to seek the justice they deserve.

If you were a patient of the LaVale, MD Med Express Urgent Care Center between May 2013 to June 2014 and were given unnecessary medical examinations or felt you were a victim of inappropriate conduct by former Dr. William Dando, call The Yost Legal Group right away.

Call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) to receive a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation about your case. When medical clinics fail to properly investigate the doctors they hire, they put innocent patients at risk. You can trust The Yost Legal Group to handle your case with the utmost discretion, professionalism, and dedication.

If you or a loved one was treated by Dr. Dando at the MedExpress Urgent Care Center and feel that your rights were violated, call The Yost Legal Group today. Our experienced Medical Malpractice lawyers can help provide the answers you seek.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Maryland Police Make 80 DUI Arrests in Single Weekend

This past weekend saw an absolutely staggering number of drivers arrested across Maryland for drunk and intoxicated driving. Maryland Police are reporting that a total of 80 motorists were arrested for DUI over the course of just one weekend. To make matters worse, a significant number of these incidents did not involve drivers that were just barely over the legal alcohol limit of .08, but rather were severely intoxicated. In many cases, drivers had Blood Alcohol Content readings of nearly twice the legal limit.

Fortunately, these drivers were mostly arrested and charged without incident, and no major accidents or fatal injuries took place. However, any one of these motorists could have easily caused a tragic situation in a matter of moments.

The most troubling incidents that took place over the weekend included one drunk driver that side-swiped a state trooper’s vehicle, completely removing the officer’s side view mirror. Another criminally reckless driver was observed traveling drunk at 94 miles an hour with a seven-year-old child in the back seat. A third motorist was caught driving while drunk twice within the span of only a few hours.

While these are isolated incidents, they are also indicative of a larger and more disturbing trend related to drunk driving. Despite the numerous and admirable programs targeted at preventing and ending the practice of drunk driving, it remains a very real issue in Maryland and across the U.S.

Some of the most recent statistics indicate that:

  • In 2013, the most recent year for which full data is available, there were a total of 142 alcohol-related fatalities in Maryland
  • 30.5% of all driving fatalities in Maryland were alcohol-related in 2013
  • The rate of highly-intoxicated drivers in Maryland, meaning drivers caught with BAC readings of .15 or over, was 71%
  • In 2013, the total number of Maryland drivers arrested for DUI was 14,793

Thirteen of the eighty arrests made over the weekend were initiated by the Maryland State Police S.P.I.D.R.E (State Police Impaired Driving Effort) Unit, a special group of State Troopers dedicated to targeting and removing drunk drivers from Maryland’s roads and highways. Founded in July of 2013, this unit focuses on running programs that reduce the amount of alcohol-related crashes in Baltimore.

At The Yost Legal Group, Baltimore Car Accident and Personal Injury law firm, we fully support the efforts of our State and Local Police, as well as organizations that actively work to reduce drunk drivers on our roads and highways. Our attorneys have represented far too many victims and families that had their lives adversely impacted by the negligent, selfish and reckless actions of drunk drivers. This behavior is criminal, and cannot be tolerated in any instance.

If you or a loved one was seriously injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529). When you call our law firm, you will receive a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced Baltimore, Maryland Drunk Driving and Car Accident lawyers. Let the experienced legal team at The Yost Legal Group help provide the answers you seek.

The Yost Legal Group – Experienced Attorneys Dedicated to Protecting Your Rights

Judge Establishes June Deadline to File Claims Against Stryker Corp

Stryker Corp announced a major settlement agreement with thousands of former patients back in November of 2014, which could end up costing the company upwards of $1 Billion in pay-outs.

A U.S District Judge in Atlanta, Georgia, announced on Monday, May 11 of 2015 that additional patients seeking damages against Stryker for their hip revision surgeries had 45 days to file a claim.

June 25, 2015 Deadline to File a Claim Against Styrker Corporation
This ruling set Thursday, June 25th as the deadline to file a claim against Stryker Corp.

If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered any of the above symptoms as a result of a Stryker metal-on-metal hip implant, it is not too late to seek the justice you deserve.

Stryker Corporation is an industry leader in the field of medical equipment and orthopedic devices, but the company has come under increased scrutiny over the last several years due to dangerous product defects with their Rejuvenate and ABG II Modular Hip Replacement Systems.

These hip replacement models, both of which are manufactured using metallic compounds including titanium, chromium and cobalt, were recalled in July of 2012 after thousands of patients came forward after suffering from similar complications.

It is now widely established that the design of the Stryker metal-on-metal hip replacement systems was inherently flawed. Rather than increasing the mobility and durability of hip replacement models as promised, the metal in these artificial joints actually corrodes quickly, releasing dangerous toxins into the surrounding bone and tissues following surgery. This process leads to a condition known as Metallosis, which can cause symptoms including:

  • Tissue Death
  • Bone Deterioration
  • Chromium and Cobalt Poisoning
  • Joint Swelling and Pain
  • Pseudotumors

Thousands of patients that received a Stryker Rejuvenate or ABG II Modular Hip Replacement system were forced to undergo painful and dangerous revision surgeries to undo the damage done by these defective products. Following the corporation’s major product recall in July of 2012, hundreds of thousands of former patients have come forward to seek damages against the corporation for their advertising of this defective and dangerous product.

What was marketed as a more modern and effective alternative to traditional hip replacement surgery actually ended up becoming a painful and life-altering ordeal for many patients.

Call The Yost Legal Group right away at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential and no-obligation consultation. When you call, one of our experienced Baltimore Product Liability and Medical Malpractice attorneys will review the details of your case from start to finish and help provide the answers you seek.

Medical Research Studies Can Be Very Harmful

The Baltimore Sun recently published a very informative article on the risks and oversight of medical testing on human subjects. By Meredith Cohn and Jean Marbella, The Baltimore Sun.

“When University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers were looking for volunteers to test a vaccine for Ebola, which was killing thousands of people in West Africa, Andrea Buchwald raised her hand in Baltimore.

‘Scientific curiosity,’ the 29-year-old graduate research assistant in Maryland’s department of epidemiology said, explaining why — along with her trust in the system governing treatment of human subjects — she was willing to be experimented on.

‘Consent for clinical trials is a very stringent process,’ Buchwald added. ‘You’re expected to do your best to ensure your participants are fully informed and doing this of their own volition. Things have changed a lot since the 1940s.’

Click Here to Read the full article, “Reforms Aim to Make Medical Research Safer for its Subjects