HIE Treatments

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a birth-related brain injury that can occur before, during, or immediately after a baby is born. HIE is caused by interruptions in blood and oxygen flow to a baby. These interruptions cause the baby to exhibit signs of fetal distress that doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals can see on fetal monitoring test results.

Doctors must intervene immediately when an unborn baby suffers reductions in oxygen and blood flow. The infant’s brain, heart, liver, and kidneys typically are damaged by hypoxia (reduction in oxygen) and ischemia (reduction in blood flow). While some organs can recover, birth-related brain damage can be permanent. This permanence is especially true when HIE treatments do not begin immediately.

Newborns with HIE usually face a lifetime of complications, including cerebral palsy, cognitive disabilities, developmental delays, and seizure disorders.

Proper and prompt medical attention and therapy is absolutely crucial to a baby’s future. Failing to recognize signs of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or provide HIE treatment and therapy can constitute medical malpractice.

But what type of treatment can be given to reduce newborn brain damage or halt its progress?

Research has shown that cooling some infants can reduce or halt birth-related brain injury. Doctors use strict criteria to determine which newborns are eligible for this hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment. However, hypothermia therapy must begin within 6 hours of a baby’s birth.

Once approved for this HIE treatment, doctors and other providers begin cooling the baby. They will use cooling blankets to cool the baby to a specific temperature. The infant is given medication to keep it comfortable.

At every stage, doctors, nurses, and other staff must closely monitor the newborn during this HIE treatment. In addition to temperature, they will watch the baby’s heart rate and breathing. Medical professionals caring for the infant will also use electroencephalograms (EEGs) and cerebral functions monitors to assess the baby’s condition.

Medical staff members keep the baby at the set temperature for 72 hours before gradually warming the baby back up.

This hypothermia cooling therapy slows the body’s metabolic rate. By slowing this rate, the damaged brain tissue and cells are given a chance to recover. It also slows the spread of the injury to other cells and tissue when swelling occurs approximately six hours after the lack of oxygen event. Secondly, the cooling decreases the chances of a reperfusion injury to the brain. Reperfusion injury occurs when blood flow is restored too quickly to the parts of the brain that were injured due to oxygen deprivation.

When the hypothermia criteria is met is now the standard of care for baby’s suffering from HIE. Failure to timely perform hypothermia/cooling therapy or transfer to a hospital that has cooling therapy available when the criteria are met is likely to be deemed medical malpractice.

Another type of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment also requires close medical attention.

Some severely injured newborn babies benefit from ECMO therapy, particularly those with HIE, cardiac failure, or respiratory distress. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation means:

• Extracorporeal – outside the body
• Membrane – a type of artificial lung
• Oxygenation – the process of getting oxygen into the patient’s blood

During ECMO, large plastic tubes called cannula are inserted into the baby’s large blood vessels. Often, this includes the large vessels in the baby’s neck. These tubes are placed during surgery and provide direct access to the heart. The infant is also placed on a breathing machine.

One cannula takes deoxygenated blood that has already traveled through the body from the infant’s heart. The blood passes to the ECMO machine, which then adds oxygen to the blood through the artificial membrane.

Oxygenated blood is then pumped back into the aorta, the body’s largest artery. The blood then travels through the infant’s body, providing the oxygen it needs. Medication is given to ease any pain or discomfort. Other treatments the baby needs also continue during ECMO therapy.

Medical staff must continuously monitor a baby on ECMO to ensure their wellbeing.

This type of HIE treatment can provide oxygen to help restore function to some damaged organs. However, the brain damage that has already occurred is irreversible.

It should also be noted that a statistically significant chance of an intra-cranial hemorrhage has been associated with ECMO treatment. So parents should be fully informed about these risks before consenting to this therapy.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment can help minimize brain trauma. However, newborns often exhibit symptoms of damage to other organs if they have suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Treatment for these symptoms may only provide support for the injured baby instead of curing their condition.

For example, doctors might administer medication to address damage to:

• Kidney and liver function,
• Heart function, and
• Blood pressure.

Also, babies suffering respiratory problems may need neonatal resuscitation or mechanical ventilation.

Finally, the types of HIE treatment mentioned above only cover neonatal symptoms. Most infants with HIE develop other serious conditions like cerebral palsy and seizure disorders. These babies and their families must deal with lifelong cognitive disabilities, learning disorders, and developmental delays. Such conditions require costly medications, surgeries, physical therapy, assistive equipment, and paid caregivers.

Sometimes hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy was preventable. When medical negligence and malpractice cause HIE, treatment should be covered by the responsible parties.

The parents of children who suffered birth injuries often want answers. They want to know what happened to harm their child’s brain. Were there signs of fetal distress that the doctors and nurses failed to recognize and/or failed to respond to in a timely manner? Did their child receive hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treatment in a timely and responsible manner?

Our dedicated birth injury lawyers want to help you find those answers.

We diligently investigate the facts, including a detailed examination of the fetal heart rate monitoring strips and labor and delivery records. If this review shows the medical providers did not diagnose or respond to fetal distress, we hold responsible parties accountable by pursuing medical malpractice claims against them. The compensation our clients receive helps them pay for their child’s current and future medical treatment, assistive technology and equipment, attendant care, and the other expenses associated with caring for a child with brain injuries, seizure disorders, and cerebral palsy.

Sometimes families are afraid to talk to lawyers about their child’s case because they worry there is a fee. There is never a fee unless and until we make money recovery for our clients.

The only way to find out if you have a birth injury case is to talk to an attorney who understands birth injury.

At Miller Weisbrod, a team of committed professionals uses our detailed case review process to assess your potential claim. They start by learning more about you and your child. Then we gather medical records to determine what happened before, during, and after your delivery. We call in skilled medical experts who review your records and let us know if they think medical errors could have caused your child’s injuries.

If we feel medical malpractice was present, we meet with you to discuss how you can receive compensation from the medical professionals who made the errors.

At no point in our legal intake process will we ask you to pay anything. The medical review of your case and the consultation are free. We only receive payment when you do.