Last month, a Tennessee mother filed a brain damage birth injury lawsuit against the doctor who delivered her son on June 13, 2009 at NorthCrest Medical Center.  The mother is seeking unspecified, compensatory damages on behalf of her son.

According to the lawsuit, when the child was born, he was gasping for air and had an irregular heart rate.  A nurse in the delivery said the boy did cry and move his arms and legs after his delivery.  Without consulting the family or other staff, the doctor determined that the newborn did not have a chance of surviving and left it alone and without care until the family decided what to do.

A few hours after leaving the child unattended, in a plastic bin, a nurse said she saw the boy trying to breath.  The newborn was resuscitated and transferred to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he stayed for treatment for 3 months.

The plaintiff argues that the doctor’s negligence and incorrect diagnosis and treatment caused her son to develop brain damage.

At a Society of Neuroscience meeting last week, a group of scientists presented research they conducted into brain injuries among premature infants.

According to the researchers, approximately 60,000 infants are born prematurely and weighing less than 3.3 pounds every year.  Because of developments in neonatal medicine, most premature babies survive.  However, unfortunately, many of theses infants suffer brain damage before, during, or shortly after their delivery.

Chief of neonatology at the University of California, San Francisco David Rowitch says, “overall rates of cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disabilities are on the rise.”

Brain injuries in newborns are most often caused by a lack of oxygen in the days following their delivery.

If your child suffered brain injuries at birth due because of medical negligence, contact the Philadelphia brain damage attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about how we can help you.