birth injury Archives -

Necrotizing Enterocolitis Linked to Enfamil and Similac Infant Formula

Posted on August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 by Loni Liss

Studies show Necrotizing Enterocolitis afflicts premature babies who are fed “cow’s milk-based formula” like Enfamil and Similac. In most cases, baby or infant formula is a safe alternative to breastmilk for newborn babies as long as standard guidelines and feeding practices are used.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website hosts a comprehensive report on infant formulas that includes approved manufacturers and individual products. It also highlights the best practices for feeding formula to a baby.

However, one major issue, specifically regarding cow’s milk baby formula, is when a baby is born prematurely. Do not use cow’s milk baby formula to feed your preemie due to the risk of developing NEC.

Why Premature Infants Should Avoid Cow’s Milk Formula

According to most modern studies and evidence, premature babies should not be fed cow’s milk baby formula. Furthermore, a 2020 study by the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Library of Medicine found that even milk-based fortifiers in conjunction with a base breastmilk diet negatively impacted premature infants’ health.

The consensus and evidence regarding the use of cow’s milk baby formula on premature babies are pretty clear. It often results in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a severe and potentially deadly condition.

If your premature baby was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), you may have a case if your baby was fed a cow’s milk formula. The experienced birth injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help you and hold the manufacturers accountable for their negligence.

What are premature birth risks, and how can They be identified?

People frequently talk about human pregnancy in terms of months and say that it lasts about nine months. However, doctors and other medical professionals talk about human pregnancies in terms of weeks.

The average length of a full-term human pregnancy is 40 weeks, which is a little longer than just “nine months.” However, as long as the pregnancy lasts at least 37 weeks, it is still considered a “full-term pregnancy.”

Anything under 37 weeks is considered a “premature birth,” i.e., the baby is born too early. However, not all premature births are the same. The earlier the birth, the greater the health risk to the baby, outcomes that can be long-term, lifelong, or even fatal.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a newborn can be:

Late Preterm: born between 34 and 36 completed weeks of pregnancy
Moderately Preterm: born between 32 and 34 weeks of pregnancy
Very Preterm: born between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy
Extremely Preterm: born before 28 weeks of pregnancy

The Mayo Clinic does note, however, that “most premature births happen in the late-preterm stage.” The Cleveland Clinic states that about 10% of births in the United States are premature.

What are the Health Risks Associated with Premature Birth?

As mentioned, the earlier the birth in terms of the number of weeks completed, the higher the risk of health issues for the newborn. It is entirely possible that a late-preterm newborn is as healthy as any baby born after 37 weeks of gestation.

If health factors are present, symptoms can range from mild to serious. However, it is always advised to follow professional medical advice after premature birth, even if symptoms are not readily apparent or seem mild.

Symptoms of premature birth include, but are not limited to, the following:

Small-sized/underweight baby
Smaller/less-developed brain
Problems breathing
Problems feeding
Low body temperature
Newborn jaundice

What is Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC)?

In a 2023 study, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) stated that “infant necrotizing enterocolitis is caused by bacterial invasion into the intestinal wall.”

When a baby is born prematurely, they have not had the full gestational period to develop safely in the womb.

Though the exact mechanism that causes the bacterial invasion that leads to NEC in premature babies has not yet been determined, the 2023 NLM study found that “gastrointestinal tract immaturity [in premature neonates] is believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis.”

An NEC preemie with NEC symptoms is frightening to new parents.

Additional studies, even ones dating back to 2011, have shown a link between premature babies fed with cow’s milk formula and the development of NEC.

Although it is possible for babies who are exclusively fed breast milk to develop neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, the incident rate is much lower.

The Cleveland Clinic also supports this data with its findings that NEC affects 1 in 1,000 premature babies. In comparison, “the condition only rarely affects full-term infants,” about 1 in 10,000 full-term babies.

While it is possible to diagnose NEC disease clinically, doctors often require diagnostic imaging to determine the condition’s stage. Radiography is the most commonly used tool because it can show the intestines and areas affected by rogue bacteria.

There are three Bell’s stages of NEC:

Bell’s stage 1 (suspected disease)
Bell’s stage 2 (definite disease)
Bell’s stage 3 (advanced disease)

What are the Health Risks Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis?

NEC in preterm infants is a severe condition that affects the gastrointestinal tracts of premature babies, leading to bacterial infections of the intestinal wall.

If diagnosed and treated immediately, the effects of NEC preemie symptoms can be minimized. However, doctors can miss symptoms, leading to untreated NEC.

When untreated, bacteria that enter the gastrointestinal tract can cause severe infections that kill the intestinal tissue and cause bacterial leakage to other internal organs. Bell’s stage 3 means the presence of dead tissue or bowel perforations.

In the United States alone, NEC caused 355 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013, and the mortality rate for Black Americans was three times higher than for the White population.

Symptoms of NEC include, but are not limited to, the following: (signs of necrotizing enterocolitis)

Abdominal swelling
Bloody stools
Green vomit
Poor feeding
Inability to gain weight
Organ failure
Death

If your baby was born premature and diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis after it was fed cow’s milk baby formula, there is no time to delay. Learn about filing an NEC lawsuit and get NEC lawsuit updates.

Call or text our experienced product liability lawyers today for a free consultation regarding your potential case. We must hold these companies accountable for their negligence and dangerous products. We are available at no cost to you at 410-659-6800.

Do you Qualify to File a Necrotizing Enterocolitis Lawsuit?

At The Yost Legal Group, we understand the sensitivity of this subject. We are talking about children’s health, life, and wellbeing—and not just any children, but your children or grandchildren.

For years, we have pursued claims against Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson related to this NEC litigation, and the fight is just getting started.

It is time to hold these multinational, billion-dollar companies accountable for their negligence in developing and marketing dangerous products.

These products are being fed to newborn and premature babies and, in some instances, causing grave harm, if not death.

If NEC is not caught and treated in time, the damage done to the premature baby might never be fully healed. It could require a lifetime of care. And those affected deserve compensation.

Contact The Yost Legal Group, a wrongful death law firm.

Already, we are seeing cases go to court and settlements being reached. The manufacturers of cow’s milk formula fed to premature infants, leading to NEC, must be held accountable. The Yost Legal Group will continue to fight.

Call or text our experienced defective product lawyers today for a free consultation. We will discuss filing an NEC baby formula lawsuit or a Similac infant formula lawsuit, which will allow us to hold the manufacturers of these dangerous products accountable.

We will help you recover financial compensation for medical treatments, pain and suffering, and whatever your NEC newborn requires.

Contact a baby formula lawyer at 410-659-6800. There is no charge or fee unless you recover. We are here to help you get the justice you deserve.

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Vacuum-Assisted Delivery And Birth Injury

Posted on September 20, 2017August 5, 2024 by YostLaw

Sometimes, during the labor and delivery process, the baby needs a little help getting through the birth canal. Approximately 1 out of 20 vaginal deliveries in the United States result in some form of assistance being required. Prolonged labor can be dangerous to the baby as well as extremely painful and exhausting to the mother. Two common forms of assisted delivery, used by medical providers to when labor is stalled, are vacuum extraction and forceps delivery.

Vacuum extraction involves placing a small round cup on the baby’s head, which attaches to a vacuum pump creating suction to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. If performed incorrectly, suction during vacuum extraction can cause permanent and even life-threatening injuries, including: massive bleeding (hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock) beneath the scalp or within the brain (intracranial hemorrhage and encephalopathy); brain damage; skull fracture; and, retinal hemorrhage. Forceps delivery (another assisted delivery method), can also cause skull fractures, skull bleeding, and bruising on the baby’s head and face. These injuries have been known to cause permanent brain damage, neurological injuries and more specifically, cerebral palsy (CP).

In the hands of an inexperienced or untrained physician, a vacuum-assisted or forceps-assisted delivery can cause you and your child serious and permanent injuries. The cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy, or any birth injury, is very high. If your child’s birth injury was caused by a complication during vacuum-assisted or forceps-assisted delivery, contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). When you call, you will speak with an experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice attorney absolutely FREE.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case. The attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced, caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case. A The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Group B Strep Infection Causing Birth Injury

Posted on August 9, 2017July 25, 2024 by YostLaw

Group B streptococcus (GBS), is a bacterium that can cause serious infections in newborn babies. It is one of many types of streptococcal bacteria, commonly referred to as “strep.” Approximately one in three to four pregnant women in the US carries GBS. It is found in the lower part of the digestive system (colon) and/or in the vagina.

GBS is not harmful to healthy adults but is extremely dangerous for newborn infants when found in pregnant women. Signs and symptoms of neonatal GBS are often very difficult to detect. Newborns who are infected with GBS can develop pneumonia (lung infection), sepsis and septic shock (systemic infection, with or without organ failure), meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), and septicemia (blood infection).

Complications associated with neonatal GBS can be prevented by giving an intravenous antibiotic during labor to any woman whose baby is at risk of GBS infection. These women can be identified by bacteriological screening, involving taking swabs from the vagina and rectum, or by risk-factor-based screening. All pregnant women should be screened for GBS.

Your newborn baby is at risk of GBS infection if, during your pregnancy:

You have a urine culture during your current pregnancy showing GBS
You have a vaginal and rectal swab culture during your current pregnancy showing GBS
You had a prior pregnancy during which you or your baby had GBS

Therefore, it is important that your medical provider tests for this type of infection to avoid an otherwise preventable birth injury. If GBS is diagnosed and not treated during pregnancy, it is medical negligence.

If you or a loved one feel you are the victim of a medical mistake contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). When you call, you will speak with an experienced Baltimore Medical Malpractice attorney absolutely FREE.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Kernicterus

Posted on July 25, 2017July 25, 2024 by YostLaw

Despite advances in neonatal care, preventable injuries to newborns are still prevalent in the United States. Jaundice, a common medical condition in infants, is characterized by yellow tinting of a newborn’s skin and the whites of the eyes (conjunctiva). This yellowing is a sign that there is too much bilirubin (a substance formed by the breakdown of red blood cells) in the baby’s blood. Although most jaundice resolves without causing any harm, it is important that bilirubin levels are carefully monitored in all babies with jaundice because bilirubin is a toxic substance that can rise to dangerous levels in infants.

If severe jaundice (hyperbilirubinemia) is not treated, it can lead to serious lifelong problems such as kernicterus. Kernicterus is a type of permanent brain damage that occurs in a newborn when bilirubin builds up to very high levels and spreads to the baby’s brain, where it infiltrates brain tissue and causes damaging swelling of the brain (encephalopathy). Kernicterus, also called acute bilirubin encephalopathy, causes permanent brain damage that could have otherwise been prevented.

Symptoms of kernicterus can include:

Extreme sleepiness and lethargy (the baby may have difficulty waking up or can’t be kept awake, does not respond to touching or does not startle from sudden movements).
A very abnormal, high-pitched cry.
Poor muscle tone – the baby may seem “floppy” and weak.
A fever that occurs along with any of these other symptoms.

Approximately 60% of term, and 80% of pre-term, babies develop jaundice in the first week of life and about 10% of breastfed babies are still jaundiced at 1 month of age. Therefore, it is imperative that jaundice is properly recognized, monitored (a simple blood test identifies the baby’s bilirubin level) and treated as soon as possible (typically with phototherapy and, if necessary, blood transfusions), before it develops into kernicterus. If the symptoms of hyperbilirubinemia or kernicterus are not recognized and treated by medical staff, it is medical negligence.

Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others. If you would like to discuss your child’s potential claim arising from a brain injury, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. For a free consultation, please call us at 1-800-YOSTLAW.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Posted on July 11, 2017July 25, 2024 by YostLaw

Cerebral palsy (CP) occurs in nearly 1 in every 500 births, making it is the most prevalent cause of motor function impairment. A disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture, CP is a neurological condition caused by brain damage which is usually suffered before, during or soon after a baby is born. CP may also cause seizure disorder (epilepsy), swallowing, speech and eye movement problems, and can cause intellectual disabilities. Premature birth significantly increases an infant’s risk of CP. There are several different types of CP, with each type classified according to the type of body movement and posture problem present. Ataxic cerebral palsy is the rarest type of cerebral palsy and involves the entire body.

Ataxic CP causes problems with:

Balance
Precise Movements (may reach too far or too close to touch objects)
Coordination (may walk with feet unusually far apart)
Hand control (may have trouble buttoning clothing, writing or using scissors)

If there is birth trauma during labor and delivery, it is possible for the baby to suffer from a brain injury due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. Medical staff is expected to monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to ensure the safety of the baby and avoid birth injury. Medical negligence in this area could be the reason why you child suffers from cerebral palsy.

Motor functioning impairment greatly affects quality of life. Additionally, the cost of care for a child with brain damage is high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake at birth, or caused by an extremely premature birth which healthcare providers negligently failed to prevent (such as a failure to diagnose and treat preeclampsia), the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy

Posted on June 20, 2017July 25, 2024 by YostLaw

Cerebral palsy, or CP, is one of the most common birth injuries associated with medical negligence in the United States. This serious medical condition is the result of an injury to the baby’s brain, including brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery. Cerebral palsy can be categorized into different forms, based on the degree of brain damage and the area/areas of the body affected. Forms of cerebral palsy include dyskinetic CP, spastic CP, and ataxic CP.

Dyskinetic CP results from damage to the basal ganglia of the brain (responsible for regulating voluntary movement) and is associated with a number of symptoms that cause muscle tone to fluctuate between being loose and tight. The different forms of dyskinesia include, dystonia, athetosis, and chorea, and result from damage to slightly different structures within the basal ganglia.

Characteristics of dystonia include painful muscle contractions, causing slow twisting or repetitive movement, and a disabling, rigid posture. Athetosis is characterized by slow, continuous, involuntary, writhing movements that may cause those affected to appear restless. People with chorea experience brief, abrupt involuntary movements and may appear fidgety.

It is the medical staff’s responsibility to consistently monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate. When signs of fetal distress go unnoticed, the baby can suffer from oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery, which is an obstetrical emergency. Consequences of such negligence can result in permanent brain injury, such as dyskinetic CP, when the baby suffers brain damage from lack of oxygen (hypoxia or anoxia) during labor and delivery.

The cost of care for a child with brain damage, is very high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake at birth, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Fetal Acidosis

Posted on June 7, 2017July 25, 2024 by YostLaw

Before a baby is born, the fetus is completely dependent on the mother’s blood supply to receive oxygen and nutrients. These necessities are delivered from mother to child through the umbilical cord and placenta. If proper care is not taken by a medical professional during the labor and delivery process, the baby’s oxygen supply can become compromised. When a baby is suffering from oxygen deprivation, brain cells begin to die off and brain damage can be irreversible.

Fetal acidosis is a symptom of serious brain injuries caused by a severe lack of oxygen to a baby during labor and delivery (such as, Cerebral Palsy (CP), Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), and seizure disorders). Fetal acidosis is diagnosed by a lab test, (blood cord gas test) performed in the first few minutes of a newborn’s life, analyzing the pH level of the blood drawn from the umbilical cord artery and veins. If the pH level of the cord blood sample is 7.0 or less, the baby has a low (acidic) cord pH and is diagnosed with fetal acidosis. A low cord pH at birth is one of the most common indicators of a baby’s lack of oxygen during labor and delivery.

Birth injuries due to low oxygen supply (hypoxia) or no oxygen supply (anoxia, or asphyxiation) can be avoided by good medical care during labor and delivery, including routine monitoring of the baby (fetal movement and heart rate), the mother’s vital signs (maternal heart rate and maternal blood pressure), and uterine contractions during labor (how long the contractions last, how strong the contractions are and how close together the contractions occur).

If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy at Birth

Posted on May 23, 2017July 26, 2024 by YostLaw

Spastic cerebral palsy is a permanent loss of muscle control caused by an injury to the brain resulting from a variety of causes, one of which is a lack of oxygen to the baby during labor and delivery.

Spastic CP is characterized by involuntary movement of the arms and legs, uncontrolled muscle spasms and can also affect the muscles controlling speech and swallowing. Spastic CP can affect all four limbs, neck and torso (tetraplegia), both arms and both legs (quadriplegia), or only one arm or leg (monoplegia) but most commonly affects the arm and leg on one side of the body, only (hemiplegia). Less commonly, spastic quadriplegia can affect three limbs (triplegia).

Poor coordination and balance, a complete inability to relax tightened muscles, difficulty walking, talking and eating are all common complications of spastic CP. For those who suffer from this neurological disorder, affected joints become very stiff and hard to move. Over time, the affected arms or legs may become extremely painful and interfere with the ability to function independently or even to sit in a comfortable position

Birth injuries, such as spastic cerebral palsy, can be the direct result of medical negligence. It is important for medical providers to consistently monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to identify if the baby is experiencing a lack of oxygen during the entire course of labor and delivery. If a complication, such as a very low (bradycardia) or very high (tachycardia) fetal heart rate is identified in a timely manner, medical providers can respond immediately to fetal distress. A baby’s lack of oxygen during labor and delivery is an obstetrical emergency and can result in permanent brain injury such as spastic CP.

There are a number of treatments available for the management of spastic CP. However, the cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy, or any brain damage, is very high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Uterine Rupture and Birth Injury

Posted on May 9, 2017July 26, 2024 by YostLaw

Uterine rupture in pregnancy can be life-threatening for the mother and baby. Signs and symptoms associated with uterine rupture should be identified by a medical provider through careful monitoring of the mother and baby during labor and delivery, and include:

Significant uterine bleeding
Severe chest pain or abdominal pain
Falling blood pressure in the mother
Abnormal or absent pattern of uterine contractions (visible on the fetal monitoring strip)
Abnormal fetal heart rate (visible on the fetal monitoring strip)

If the uterus ruptures, the baby may not be getting the amount of oxygen needed to survive. This obstetrical emergency requires an immediate caesarian section (C-section) delivery. If the symptoms of uterine rupture are not recognized and immediately treated by medical providers, the complete (anoxia) or partial (hypoxia) interruption in the baby’s supply of oxygen can cause permanent brain damage.

Hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries can cause disabilities such as cerebral palsy, delays in development and seizure disorders. If you would like to discuss your child’s potential brain damage claim arising from a uterine rupture during labor and delivery, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation.

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.

Placenta Previa and Hypoxic Brain Injury

Posted on April 25, 2017August 2, 2024 by YostLaw

Placenta previa occurs when the placenta lies low in the uterus and partially or completely covers the cervix. When this happens, the placenta is lying between the fetus and the birth canal, effectively blocking the baby’s delivery. Although placenta previa is quite common in the early weeks and months of pregnancy, it typically resolves as the pregnancy progresses and the placenta moves up and away from the cervix as the uterus expands.

However, placenta previa does not always resolve itself. It affects about 1 in 200 births, at which time it can create the risk of severe bleeding (hemorrhage) in the mother and lack of oxygen to the baby (hypoxia). When placenta previa is present near the end of pregnancy it almost always requires cesarean (c-section) delivery of the baby.

Placenta previa should always be suspected when bright red vaginal bleeding occurs during pregnancy, at which time an ultrasound should be ordered and the condition can be diagnosed by the ultrasound images. If ultrasound confirms placenta previa is the cause of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, the proper course of treatment is to admit the patient to the hospital for monitoring and bedrest. If the bleeding does not stop, or if the fetal heartrate monitor indicates the baby is in distress, the pregnant mother will remain hospitalized and may receive blood transfusions and other treatments until the baby is delivered.

Lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain due to a ruptured placenta previa can cause serious brain damage. Birth asphyxia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy are brain injuries that are caused by oxygen deprivation. The treatment for these complications is limited due to the fact that most brain damage is permanent.

Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others. If you would like to discuss your family’s potential claim arising from a placenta previa birth injury, the attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. For a free consultation, please call us at 1-800-YOSTLAW.

Tag: birth injury