How we work to improve the lives of HIE babies. This article and supporting video is a little different because it looks to tackle the “secrecy” as one parent reported, surrounding the issues present when a baby has suffered a traumatic brain injury at birth, like HIE. Although I have talked about these issues in the past in separate posts and videos, this post today will work to integrate these issues into one.
If you are new to the HIE journey with your baby, please remember that no two babies are the same and although they may have an HIE diagnosis, each child must be viewed as an individual with their own identity and own challenges. Therefore, it is imperative not to compare the challenges of one child to another.
What Is HIE?
HIE is the condition hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. For this post today, and in our context, this is a reduction in oxygenated blood which can lead a baby to suffer a brain injury. There can be many causes of HIE. For example, genetics and developmental issues can present which can lead to a baby suffering an HIE injury. In addition, birth trauma, which is what we handle, can also lead a baby to suffer an HIE injury. When birth trauma is the cause, in many of our cases it is because there were errors in the reading and interpretation of the electronic fetal heart monitor.
When we suspect that the HIE injury was indeed caused by errors on the part of the doctors and nurses, and hospital, we use medial experts to help focus in on the standard of care issues, causation, and damages. All these things, and more, go into setting up a viable birth injury claim to be brought on behalf of the baby, and parents if appropriate.
How We Work To Improve The Lives Of HIE Babies…
As a birth injury attorney, as soon as a family contacts us about their baby’s traumatic brain injury at birth, our initial thoughts are to ensure that we are looking out the best interests and for the baby. This is because at the end of the day, the baby is the one who has suffered a traumatic brain injury and as such, will need all the help available to allow the baby to live the best life possible.
A keyway to do this is to get the baby an individualized life care plan in place. This lifecare plan is put together by experts who understand disability and the needs of the baby not only today as a baby, but deep into the future. Generally, we also like to have our life care providers perform a day in the life video of the family. What this means is that a video documentary will be done so that the defense, and fact finders can see what the family goes through each day and how the disability has impacted this family, specifically.
Another way in which we seek to improve the lives of our clients with an HIE injury is to work to have a special needs trust put together to protect the baby’s finances. Without getting too deep into this area of law, the trust will have a trustee and when needed, trust advisors to help the family with things like home modifications, retro fits, etc…
At the end of the day, as I stated earlier, many children who have an HIE brain injury will have deficits, depending on the severity of the diagnosis. It is my job as a birth injury attorney, to do all that I can to ensure that these children, who in many cases will go on to be adults, can have the best lives possible. So, at the conclusion of this article it is my hope that you can see wow we work to improve the lives of HIE babies.
If your baby has suffered a traumatic brain injury, and you have more questions regarding the cause of the injury, you can reach out to us at the contact information below. It costs nothing to speak with me initially about your baby’s story.
Marcus B. Boston, Esq.
9701 Apollo Dr. Suite 100
Largo, Maryland 20774
1-833-4 BABY HELP
