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Common Mistakes Doctors Make in Birth Injury Cases

Each birth injury case is unique. However, there are specific types of errors and forms of medical malpractice that appear frequently in these lawsuits. These include the following:   Failing to provide proper fetal monitoring It is very important that medical professionals evaluate the baby’s wellbeing throughout pregnancy as well as during the birthing process. This…

New Study Suggests Benefits of Intranasal Breast Milk in Cases of Intraventricular Hemorrhage

A recent Scary Mommy article put a November 2018 study in the spotlight regarding  the benefits of intranasal breast milk administration in infants with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (1,2).  What is intraventricular hemorrhage? Intraventricular hemorrhages, or brain bleeds, happen when there is bleeding within the brain’s ventricular system. IVH can result from oxygen deprivation at birth…

Comparing Cerebral Palsy to Other Motor Disorders

Nervous system conditions that affect an individual’s movements are called “motor disorders.” They can result in increased voluntary or involuntary movements, as well as faster or slower movements (1). Many motor disorders can have similar signs and symptoms, even though they are caused by different underlying conditions or diseases. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a movement…

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) exists in a variety of different forms, and its symptoms vary significantly from person to person. For instance, while people with severe CP may need a wheelchair to help them get around, people with mild CP might be able to walk just fine on their own (1). All people with CP experience…

Recent Study Finds Benefits of ECMO during Therapeutic Hypothermia for Infants with HIE

Babies with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) often experience respiratory problems. Because of this, they may require assistance with breathing after birth. This can be done through the urgent method of resuscitation, or the more long-term assistance of inhaled nitric acid, high-frequency ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (1). These long-term practices are commonly used for neonates…

Recent Findings on the Association Between Placental Lesions and HIE

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a brain injury caused by insufficient oxygenated blood flow to the brain at or near the time of delivery. There are many potential causes of HIE, including high-risk pregnancy conditions, labor and delivery issues, and medical mistakes. Recent studies have sought to find connections between placental and umbilical cord issues and…

Researchers identify pregnancy conditions that increase the risk of neonatal hypoxia

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of newborn brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation during or around the time of birth, has been linked to a variety of pregnancy conditions. Inna Skarga-Bandurova and colleagues in the Ukraine recently published a study on risk factors for chronic fetal hypoxia (i.e. long-term oxygen deprivation). They analyzed data from…

New study finds neuroprotective benefits in resveratrol (RESV)

Recent studies in rats indicate that resveratrol (RESV), a natural polyphenol compound, may be useful in minimizing brain damage from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Studies of resveratrol’s neurological benefits This study, published in November, showed the surprising neuroprotective benefits of resveratrol (1). In the study, 48 seven-day-old rats were broken up into four groups, all of…

Piglets with Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage Benefit from Cannabidiol and Therapeutic Hypothermia

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a component of the cannabis (marijuana) plant that serves a wide variety of medicinal purposes (the legality of CBD and other cannabis products varies by state). Importantly, cannabidiol has been shown to provide neuroprotection in animal models of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is a type of brain injury from oxygen deprivation. In…