Most of the medical malpractice lawsuits filed by parents of newborn babies with brain damage focus on poorly managed delivery by the healthcare providers. But based on a new study, most cases of brain damage in babies are actually not caused by poor delivery of the baby.
According to Medical Daily, researchers from Loyola University Medical Center led by Dr. Jonathan Muraskas conducted a study that suggests that most brain damage cases in newborn babies might have actually been caused by anemia and infections that are difficult to spot. Anemia and infections like chorioamnionitis can possibly hinder the supply of oxygen to the brain and other body organs which can lead to different types of severe brain damage such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
The research also involved an intensive examination of medical records from more than 30 full-term infants who developed brain damage. The researchers were able to discover that the babies had such normal level of gasses in their umbilical cord blood and there was a little injury in the deep gray matter of the brain.
"These indicators strongly suggest the babies had not suffered brain damage before birth. Once born, though, the babies were unable to cope with their infections or anemia on their own," wrote the researchers.
According to an article by the American Family Physician, anemia refers to having red blood cells that are fewer in amount and smaller in size compared with the normal. On the other hand, chorioamnionitis -- also known as amnionitis or intra-amniotic infection -- refers to a bacterial infection in the amnion, chorion and the amniotic fluid around the fetus that affects 2 to 4 percent of full-term newborn babies.
Hence, according to Healthline, medical practitioners need to fully assess if the brain damage in babies is caused by poor delivery or through anemia and infection.
