Has your baby suffered seizures after birth and now you are concerned about the future challenges? Or, you have been told that your baby has experienced a brain injury following birth and because of the brain injury, seizures are now present. For many parents hearing this news creates a lot of confusion and questions. One of the main questions is how could something like this happen?
The purpose of this Maryland birth injury educational article is to help you understand seizures following birth and one way a baby might have suffered a brain injury. If you are going through this right know please know that you are not alone.
WHAT ARE SEIZURES?
A seizure is an electrical disturbance in the brain, which can occur because of a brain injury. Most people think of seizures as rapid jerking and moving that is visible to the naked eye. However, some seizures can be subtle in nature. Seizures can be broken down into the following categories:
- Subtle Seizures: These types of seizures can sometimes be overlooked because they can be difficult to recognize. Eyelid blinking or fluttering, eyes rolling up, eye opening, and a fixed gaze can all be signs of subtle seizures. In addition, tongue protrusions can also be signs of subtle seizures. Subtle seizures are the most common type of seizure in babies.
- Tonic Seizures: Tonic seizures can be categorized as increased muscle tone, or muscle stiffness. Tonic seizures can consist of the baby’s eyes rolling up into their head and breathing problems.
- Clonic Seizures: Clonic seizures are defined by rhythmic jerking. These types of seizures usually affect the neck, face, and arms.
- Myoclonic Seizures: Sudden, muscle contractions and jerks define myoclonic seizures. They differ from clonic seizures in that the clonic seizures are more rhythmic, whereas myoclonic seizures do not have a rhythm to the jerking or twitching movement.
BABY SUFFERED SEIZURES AFTER BIRTH…
As mentioned above, seizures can be the result of a brain injury. During a vaginal delivery doctors and nurses use a tool called the electronic fetal heart monitor to visualize the baby’s well-being during delivery, among other things. The fetal heart monitor displays the baby’s heart rate and other important readings like variability and acceleration and deceleration patterns.
If the electronic fetal heart monitor is displaying non-reassuring readings, doctors and nurses must properly diagnose and treat the baby. For example, medical professionals may turn mother on her side call, they may give her oxygen, or they may give her a bolus. If these treatment options do not resolve the baby’s fetal distress or non-reassuring readings, doctors must be ready to move to an emergency C-section when warranted. Failure to properly diagnose and treat fetal distress can lead to a brain injury and the baby.
Parents may see the term hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or HIE, in the baby’s medical records. HIE essentially means that the baby has suffered from a reduced level of blood and oxygen which has led to a brain injury.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR BABY’S INJURY AT BIRTH…
If you would like to speak with me further regarding the seizures that your baby has suffered following birth or a subsequent cerebral palsy diagnosis, this is what I invite you to do. Pick up the phone and give me a call. I can be reached at 301-850-4832. I answer Maryland birth injury and medical malpractice questions just like yours all the time and I will be happy to listen to your story.
Marcus B. Boston, Esq.
Boston Law Group, LLC
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
1-833-4 BABY HELP
