Michigan birth injury lawyers often handle cases involving the condition of jaundice. According to an estimate, about 60% of newborns in the US are jaundiced; they look yellow. However, most babies are not seriously jaundiced, and react normally. However, when jaundice attacks the infant severely, the effects can be very catastrophic.
There are incidents when infants born with jaundice were not timely diagnosed and treated properly for the condition. This failure to diagnose and timely treat can lead to catastrophic and lifelong consequences for both the baby and the parents. In these circumstances, there may be a child birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit that can be filed to seek monetary compensation for the child and the parents.
Jaundice is the yellow coloring of skin and other tissues. It is often seen in the sclera, the whites of the eyes, which become yellow. It is caused by high level of bilirubin in blood and tissues. Factors such as prematurity, bruising, blood group incompatibilities between mother and infant such as Rh and ABO blood types etc can all increase the production of bilirubin and lead to severe jaundice.
Babies with high level of bilirubin can be treated properly. Phototherapy is a highly effective method used for treatment. It is the blue color in light that transforms the toxic form of bilirubin into a non-toxic, water soluble form that is eliminated. In situations when bilirubin reaches dangerous levels, extreme treatment method, known as exchange transfusion, may be used to remove the toxic bilirubin from blood. The failure to provide these treatments in a timely fashion can have devastating consequences.
Severe jaundice can also cause permanent brain damage. The signs of severe bilirubin toxicity are as follows:
-Lethargy
-High-pitched cry
-Abnormalities of tone
-Fever
-Arching back
Jaundice is a very severe condition, which if left untreated can seriously affect the upbringing of your infant. The child may require lifetime specialized medical care, special education services, and even supervised living once the child reaches adulthood. A medical malpractice lawsuit can often be filed against the negligent doctor or hospital if there was a failure to timely diagnose and treat the condition.
In this type of lawsuit, monetary damages are sought to help the family and the child deal with this condition throughout the child's lifetime. Compensation received in a jaundice lawsuit is used to help the child and the family provide the best possible care for the child to compensate them both for the impact that this has had on the life of the child. Such damage requests are included in medical malpractice lawsuit for jaundice.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
