Disclaimer: Please note that we cannot provide medical advice or assist in medical emergencies. Children with brain damage from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) often require extensive care for conditions such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy. In addition to assistance with the tasks of daily living (i.e feeding, bathing, etc.) and routine medical care, they may need…
There are a range of campus and university services available to students with disabilities who attend college. Learn more about what they are, how to access them, and more here. What to expect Most colleges and universities have disability service offices and accommodations in place for students with disabilities. However, higher education institutions aren’t required…
Hypothermia therapy, or brain cooling, is the standard treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). It can reduce the extent of permanent brain damage if given very shortly after birth or the oxygen-depriving incident (within six hours, though there may be some benefit from the therapy up to 24 hours). Using a cooling cap or blanket, the…
Shortly after Lelah and Jade Jerger found a treatment that could stop their two year old daughter, Jaelah, from having epileptic seizures, child protective services showed up at their door. “They were going to take her,” Jade told NBC News. Why? Because the Jergers were treating Jaelah’s epilepsy with cannabidiol (CBD), an extract from the…
Shortly after birth, medical professionals assess a baby’s health using a scoring system called the Apgar scale. An Apgar score is one diagnostic method used to determine whether an infant is in need of medical intervention. A recent publication by researchers at the Karolinksa Institutet in Sweden indicates that an infant’s Apgar score can also…
Babies that have sustained oxygen-depriving injuries (perinatal asphyxia) during the birthing process can benefit greatly from prompt administration of hypothermia therapy. Cooling an injured newborn to a below-normal temperature can give brain cells a chance to repair themselves, which stops the damage from spreading and becoming permanent. Hypothermia therapy can prevent or decrease the severity…
Every day, our nurses and attorneys receive calls from expectant mothers with concerns about symptoms they’re experiencing during their pregnancy. They’re curious if their symptoms are normal, and they wonder what their next steps should be. Patients should always visit a medical professional with concerns like these and receive appropriate care for maternal-fetal conditions and…
In our previous article, we discussed a recent study that found a connection between severity of seizures and neonatal severity of injury. At Reiter & Walsh, P.C., we have won many successful cases where severe birth injuries caused brain injuries that resulted in severe seizures and seizure disorders. As the study reiterated, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy…
According to the Journal of Patient Safety, preventable medical errors cause at least 210,000 deaths per year. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease and cancer. Unfortunately, mistakes made in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) represent a significant part of those numbers. The Archives of Disease in…
A 2015 clinical trial found that treatment for severe and moderate neonatal seizures can reduce the impact of cumulative electrographic seizure burden in infants born with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This American Academy of Pediatrics trial used EEG video (video to monitor brain activity) and standard medication for neonatal seizures to reduce the impact. The…
