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Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (Birth Asphyxia)

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (Birth Asphyxia) attorneys of Michigan serving Detroit, Grand Rapids and more.

At Reiter & Walsh P.C., representing clients in Washington DC, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit and throughout the states of Michigan and Ohio, our dedicated HIE lawyers represent victims of medical malpractice and negligence every day. Our attorneys have the resources and experience to determine the cause of the impairment and will take appropriate action if malpractice or negligence played a role.

What is Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy?

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), commonly known as birth asphyxia, is inadequate supply of oxygen and blood flow to the baby’s brain near the time of birth.

Oxygen is necessary to sustain critical cells within the body, most notably brain cells. If the brain does not receive proper oxygenation, cell death occurs. This lack of oxygen (also known as apoxia or hypoxia) and subsequent cell death, can result in mental and physical damage such as mental retardation, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy and brain damage. The extent and seriousness of the damage depends on the length of time that the baby was deprived of oxygen and the condition of the baby prior to the oxygen deprivation.  Generally speaking, the longer an infant goes without oxygen or with decreased oxygen, the more severe and permanent the injury will be.

Causes of HIE

There are several causes of HIE in newborns, including:

  • umbilical cord injuries such as a nuchal cord (the cord gets wrapped around the baby’s neck); a prolapsed cord (the umbilical cord precedes the fetus' exit from the uterus,  the cord becomes compressed and unable to deliver oxygen to the baby); umbilical compression due to hyperstimulation (excessive uterine activity)
  • problems with the placenta or uterus such as a ruptured uterus; placenta previa (placenta is attached to the uterine wall close to or covering the cervix); placental abruption (portion of the placental lining tears away from the uterus) and placental insufficiency 
  • tachysistole (excessively frequent uterine contractions)
  • elevated fetal heart resting tone in between contractions
  • trauma to the baby’s brain during delivery
  • delayed delivery of the baby

Brain imaging studies such as CT scans, PET scans and MRIs, blood tests electroencephalogram (EEG), ultrasounds and other medical studies help diagnose HIE and it’s underlying causes.

Sometimes, however, doctors and hospitals do not reveal the exact cause of HIE or may omit relevant pieces of information when discussing your baby’s HIE for fear of malpractice. The birth injury attorneys at Reiter & Walsh in Detroit, Michigan are experts at sifting through complex medical records and enlisting top pediatric experts to determine the exact cause of your baby’s HIE.

Testing and Treatment for HIE

Traditional treatment of HIE has been supportive care. This entailed conventional measures such as ventilation, physician support, NICU care and care from specialty physicians in an attempt to allow the baby’s body and brain to repair itself. Recently, however, a new therapy called brain cooling has been introduced specifically for HIE and has shown to improve the outcome of babies with birth-associated HIE by reducing the severity of neurological injury.

In brain cooling therapy, the baby’s temperature is lowered to around 91 degrees F for 72 hours. By lowering the baby’s temperature, the metabolic rate slows allowing cell recovery over a longer period of time, avoiding further damage that can occur if normal oxygenation or blood flow is restored too quickly to injured cells. 

Timing is very important when using this hypothermia treatment. The most favorable outcomes are seen when brain cooling is started as soon as possible after the birth injury occurs, preferably within 6 hours of birth. The treatment also requires that the newborn is at least 36 weeks gestation.

Do I have a case?

At Reiter & Walsh, P.C., we have extensive experience handling birth injury cases involving Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). If your child experienced a lack of oxygen during birth or did not receive brain cooling treatment in a timely manner, contact our Michigan birth injury attorneys handling cases in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Toledo, Columbus, Washington DC and more locations, for a free case evaluation. You may be entitled to compensation for negligence or pediatric malpractice.