Neonatal encephalopathy is neurological dysfunction in newborns caused by oxygen deprivation before or during birth. Treatment includes supportive care, medical imaging, and neurological follow-up. Permanent brain damage can occur, leading to various problems. Legal responsibility may be established if medical errors occurred.
Neonatal encephalopathy is the presence of clear neurological dysfunction in a newborn. It is usually caused by oxygen deprivation before or during birth, and it is important to evaluate babies for other potential causes, such as congenital disorders or drug reactions, because this can alter the course of treatment. Management of neonatal encephalopathy is focused on providing supportive care to the baby with regular check-ups to see how the baby is recovering. Even if a baby appears to be recovering well, doctors usually recommend neurological follow-up until at least 18 months of age.
A baby born with neonatal encephalopathy will have symptoms such as slowed reflexes, poor muscle tone, seizures, and difficulty breathing. Poor nutrition is also common, and children can have a slow heart rate. All of these problems are signs of central nervous system dysfunction, showing that the area of the brain responsible for regulating basic reflexes has suffered an injury. Usually the cause is hypoxia or oxygen deprivation.
The services of a neurologist are usually recommended when doctors suspect a neonatal encephalopathy. Your doctor will order some medical imaging studies of the brain to find out more about what’s going on, and will also conduct a thorough physical exam and order blood work to check for other possible causes of neurological dysfunction. During follow-up appointments, the neurologist can determine the extent of the damage and provide management and treatment recommendations, adjusting these as needed as the child grows.
Treatments for neonatal encephalopathy may include resuscitation if babies stop breathing or go into cardiac arrest, along with artificial ventilation to help babies who can’t breathe on their own. Sometimes, medications are helpful, and even children can benefit from gentle physical therapy. Studies conducted by organizations such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology suggest that patient outcome at approximately two weeks may be predictive of long-term outcomes.
People who experienced neonatal encephalopathy as infants may have permanent brain damage. This can lead to a variety of problems, ranging from difficulty walking to severe learning disabilities. Specifics vary from case to case, and a thorough neurological exam is recommended, as is aggressive interventional care to provide children with access to physical and occupational therapy, as well as education.
Legally, one concern with neonatal encephalopathy is establishing whether hypoxia occurred before, during, or shortly after birth and finding out who was responsible. If medical errors have occurred, the doctors and the hospital may be responsible for the costs of caring for the child.
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