Meconium is the baby’s first bowel movement. This substance is made up of cells,
protein, fats and intestinal secretions such as bile. Babies typically pass meconium in the first few hours and days after they are born. However, in some cases, babies may pass meconium while they are still in the womb. Meconium aspiration syndrome or MAS occurs when a newborn has trouble breathing because of the meconium that got into his or her lungs.
In such cases, the healthcare provider is responsible to make the correct decision and carry out actions that prevent or reduce the dangers from meconium aspiration. However, medical negligence (carelessness) in such situations can have devastating consequences. If your child experienced meconium aspiration and suffered birth injuries such as asphyxiation or cerebral palsy, it is important that you contact an experienced New York birth injury attorney.
What Causes Meconium Aspiration Syndrome?
Fetuses are at risk for ingesting meconium before they are born when the risk factors below are present and not correctly identified or managed by the medical staff due to negligence (carelessness):
• The delivery is difficult or prolonged
• The infant is way past the due date
• The doctor does not suction the baby’s airways
• The mother has high blood pressure (preeclampsia)
• The mother has an infection that has not been treated
• The umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck.
Doctors have a responsibility to suction the child’s airways quickly so the baby does not experience what is known as hypoxia or lack of oxygen. If the doctor fails to suction the baby’s airways in a timely manner after birth and it results in MAS, they can be found medically negligent (careless). It is important that you contact an experienced birth injury lawyer to assess your legal rights and options.
What Are the Signs of Meconium Aspiration?
Here are some of the most common signs of meconium aspiration:
• Your newborn has a bluish skin color
• The child has trouble breathing
• The amniotic fluid appears green
• The child is limp at birth or doesn’t cry
• There is meconium in the amniotic fluid
• Grunting sounds while exhaling
• Slow heart rate
Meconium aspiration must be treated promptly. The sooner a child is treated, the better his or her chances of making a complete recovery. If a doctor fails to treat the child right away, the baby may experience potential complications that lead to long-term or lifelong health issues. During labor, the doctor should suction the baby’s upper airways as soon as the head is visible. If the baby is experiencing stress, additional treatment may be necessary.
Babies who suffer a birth injury related to meconium aspiration syndrome may experience long-term health issues such as asthma, chronic lung disease, and cerebral palsy. Treating these conditions can add up to millions of dollars during a child’s life.
Medical Negligence (Carelessness) and Compensation
It is the responsibility of medical professionals to monitor the condition of the fetus and the mother and make decisions that reduce or eliminate a risky delivery. If your child has suffered a birth injury due to medical negligence (carelessness), he or she may be able to receive compensation that helps pay for medical expenses, lost income, cost of therapy, future treatments, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
The experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. One of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
We have seen many cases where New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities delivered babies with cerebral palsy or Brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) due to their negligence (carelessness) and/or medical malpractice in the labor and delivery etc. of the children.
The following list identifies some of these hospitals (operated by New York City Health and Hospital Corporation):
• Jacobi Hospital aka Bronx Municipal 1400 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, New York 10461 718-918-5000
• Lincoln Hospital 234 East 149th Street Bronx, New York 10451 718-579-5000
• North Central Bronx Hospital 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, New York 10467 718-519-5000
• Coney Island Hospital 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11235 718-616-3000
• Kings County Hospital 451 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203 718-245-3131
• Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway Brooklyn, New York 11206 718-963-8000
• Bellevue Hospital 462 First Avenue New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555
• Harlem Hospital 506 Lenox Avenue New York, New York 10037 212-939-1000
• Metropolitan Hospital 1901 First Avenue New York, New York 10029 212-423-6262
• Elmhurst Hospital 79-01 Broadway Elmhurst, New York 11373 718-334-4000
• Queens Hospital Center 82-68 164th Street Jamaica, New York 11432 718-883-3000
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