Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Queens, Manhattan, New York City, NY Medical Malpractice

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a condition in which the human brain fails to receive enough oxygen to properly function. Compared to other conditions, HIE refers to oxygen deficiency of the whole brain, rather than just a part of it. While this term is most often used to refer to a birth injury sustained by newborns, HIE can technically describe any brain injury sustained due to low oxygen.

If a child suffers hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy before, during, or just after birth, medical negligence or malpractice may be to blame. This condition is extremely rare: only three of every 1,000 births involve HIE. However, when it does develop, HIE can be fatal. Around 20% of all infants who suffer hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy during birth will die as a newborn, and 25% of surviving babies will be left with permanent neurological damage.

Within five minutes of oxygen deprivation, a person’s brain cells can begin dying, potentially causing long-term brain damage such as cerebral palsy, delayed development, intellectual disability, and seizures.

Causes of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Many health conditions and injuries can potentially cause oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) to the brain, resulting in HIE. Most often, however, HIE is sustained due to an injury or complication during birth.

Other common causes of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy include:

• Respiratory failure
• Strangulation
• Cardiac arrest
• Extremely low blood pressure
• Blocked or ruptured blood vessel

HIE is often unexpected, and thus difficult to prevent. Detecting HIE before it does significant damage to a newborn is challenging, and further highlights the need for medical professionals to carefully monitor a pregnant woman during labor and childbirth, taking every possible precaution to ensure that oxygen levels are preserved for both the mother and the child during a birth. If a doctor fails to properly treat or prevent a medical complication that leads to the onset of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, they can be held accountable for related damages.

If your child suffered a birth injury that you believe could have been prevented, please contact the experienced medical malpractice lawyers in New York at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, PC today for a free case evaluation.

Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C.
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