Birth Injury Stemming from Intraventricular Hemorrhaging

A Cleveland birth delivery injury attorney at The Becker Law Firm understands the devastation that parents may feel when it’s discovered their newborn has suffered an injury. Internal bleeding in the brain is one type of injury that could lead to filing a birth injury claim.

One condition that can be extremely dangerous is intraventricular hemorrhaging (IVH). It tends to affect mostly premature babies and causes bleeding into the brain’s ventricles, which are the fluid-filled areas of the brain.

In fact, the earlier the baby is delivered, the higher the risk for this condition, according to the ADAM Medical Encyclopedia via PubMed Health. Doctors should be aware of this and may need to prescribe corticosteroids for women who are at high risk of early delivery to reduce the risk of IVH. A study published in Pediatrics found that “development of IVH is associated with…failure to give antenatal steroid treatment.” It also found early sepsis to be associated with the condition.

The condition may be more prevalent in premature babies with certain conditions such as high blood pressure or respiratory distress syndrome. But even full-term or otherwise healthy premature babies could develop IVH.

The condition usually is not present at birth but may be present within a few days. Possible symptoms of the condition include lethargy, apnea, reduced reflexes and muscle tone, and changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Some cases of IVH may cause just a little bleeding and may not lead to persistent medical issues. More severe bleeding may be associated with various complications, including blood clots.

Treatment of this condition typically includes treating symptoms because doctors are unable to stop the bleeding. A spinal tap can relieve pressure from brain swelling, while a shunt or tube may need to be placed in the brain in order to drain the fluid, according to ADAM.

In some cases,internal bleeding after delivery could be the result of a doctor’s negligence. For help determining whether you have a legitimate claim, seek legal counsel with a Cleveland birth delivery injury attorney at the Becker Law Firm.