This past Tuesday, September 15, was the 16th annual National Neonatal Nurses Day. The National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN) established this day in 2000 to give members of the neonatal community the opportunity to offer neonatal nurses their gratitude and support.
Many neonatal nurses are extremely dedicated to their jobs and work tirelessly to care for the babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). If your baby is in the NICU under the care of neonatal nurses, they are often valuable resources and can be very helpful. Though neonatal nurses have many responsibilities when caring for babies in critical condition, they can be compassionate and understanding of the stressful situation you and your family are in. They are knowledgeable about conditions affecting premature and critical-condition newborns and part of their role within the hospital is to help educate you on caring for your baby once outside of the NICU.
What Causes A Baby To End Up In The Care Of Neonatal Nurses?
Most birth injuries are caused by a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain during labor and delivery, which is called asphyxia or hypoxia-ischemia. Brain injury caused by hypoxia-ischemia is called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). During labor and delivery, HIE can be caused by:
- Umbilical cord injuries, such as a nuchal cord
- Problems with the placenta or uterus, such as a ruptured uterus, placenta previa, placental abruption, or placental insufficiency
- Tachysystole (excessively frequent uterine contractions)
- Elevated fetal heart resting tone in between contractions or fetal monitoring errors
- Trauma to the baby’s brain during delivery
- Complications related to the baby’s size or position, such as breech or cephalopelvic disproportion
- Delayed delivery of the baby
- Delayed emergency C-section
- Undiagnosed or improperly treated conditions in the mother, such as high blood pressure (preeclampsia) or infection
Showing signs of a brain injury after birth is common reason for babies to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The trauma caused by HIE can result in:
- Cerebral palsy
- Periventricular leukomalacia (primarily in premature babies)
- Developmental delays
- Intellectual disabilities
Michigan HIE Lawyers Helping Children And Families Affected By Birth Injuries
If preventable medical errors have caused your baby to spend time in the NICU, know that there are legal options available to you. The lawyers at Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers have over 30 years of experience working on cases involving birth trauma and medical malpractice that have resulted in HIE and cerebral palsy. They understand the stress of having a baby in the NICU after suffering a birth trauma and raising a child with a lifelong disability. Our attorneys’ hard work has paid off for their clients, earning them millions in settlements to help pay for their children’s medical bills and other necessities.
To speak with one of our attorneys for a free legal consultation, please call our office toll-free at 888-419-2229, email our birth injury attorneys, press the Live Chat tab to the left of your browser, or complete our quick online contact form. We’re available to assist you 24/7.
nann.org, Neonatal Nurses Day, http://www.nann.org/about/content/nnd.html