Chicago Cephalohematoma Attorney
Birth injuries should never happen, but when a healthcare provider is negligent during pregnancy or during labor and delivery, a serious birth injury can result in debilitating and sometimes permanent injuries to a newborn. Some of the most devastating types of birth injuries are those that involve brain injuries or head trauma. Newborn cephalohematoma is a type of injury that affects a baby’s head and most often results from trauma. If your baby was diagnosed with newborn cephalohematoma, you should get in touch with a Chicago cephalohematoma attorney as soon as possible to find out more about filing a birth injury claim.
What is a Chicago Newborn Cephalohematoma Birth Injury?
What is newborn cephalohematoma? According to WebMD, newborn cephalohematoma is a specific type of birth injury that usually results from trauma during labor and delivery, or excessive pressure to a baby’s head during childbirth. As WebMD explains, with a newborn cephalohematoma, “a pool of blood collects underneath the scalp and outside the skull” due to “ruptured or damaged small blood vessels in the scalp.” The Cleveland Clinic reports that cephalohematomas occur in about 2.5 percent of difficult childbirths.
While newborn cephalohematoma does not usually place a baby at risk of permanent brain damage and will usually resolve without medical interventions, complications can occur. As such, it is important to seek help if you notice any signs or symptoms of cephalohematoma and to speak with a birth injury attorney in Chicago about filing a claim against the healthcare provider.
Symptoms a Cephalohematoma Birth Injury in Chicago
What are some of the common symptoms of newborn cephalohematoma? According to WebMD, healthcare providers should identify the following symptoms, and parents should seek medical advice if they notice any of the following signs:
- Soft bulge, or a bump, on the back of the newborn’s head;
- Bump that gets harder and denser as time goes on, eventually followed by the center of the bump dissolving to give the appearance of a “crater-like” injury;
- Infection that may have resulted from newborn cephalohematoma;
- Jaundice; and/or
- Anemia.
Doctors must recognize signs of cephalohematoma and take appropriate steps to diagnose the injury when necessary. Depending upon the specific facts of the case, a healthcare provider may have an x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound performed on your baby’s head.
Causes and Risk Factors for Chicago Cephalohematoma
The following causes and risk factors are identified by WebMD as those that often exist in birth injury cases involving newborn cephalohematomas:
- Healthcare provider used birth-assisting tools during labor and delivery, such as forceps or a vacuum extractor;
- Mother experienced prolonged labor that resulted in the baby having a larger head affected by pressure in the pelvic area during labor;
- Pregnancy with multiple newborns, such as twins or triplets;
- Breech or other abnormal position during childbirth; or
- Baby’s head struck the mother’s pelvic bone during labor and delivery.
Learn More by Contacting a Chicago Cephalohematoma Birth Injury Lawyer
If your newborn suffered any kind of head trauma, including a newborn cephalohematoma, the injury may have resulted from your doctor’s negligence. One of our Chicago cephalohematoma birth injury lawyers can assess your case for you today. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC to learn more.
