


A. Yes. Neonatal seizures are seizures that occur shortly after birth or during the neonatal period. Neonatal seizures can indicate that a birth injury occurred. In fact, seizures may be the first (and perhaps only) clinical sign of a brain injury or disorder in a newborn baby. Seizures frequently develop in babies who sustained oxygen deprivation shortly before the start of labor, during labor, or in the first 24 hours of life.
Seizures occur when there are abnormal electrical discharges in the brain (uncontrolled electrical activity) that produce conditions such as convulsions, brain disturbances, and altered consciousness. Incidents that deprive a baby’s brain of oxygen during or near the time of labor and delivery can cause a baby to have seizures after birth. When oxygen deprivation occurs, there typically is a series of events that cause a decrease in energy production in the brain. This can cause the brain to produce a chemical that causes excessive excitation in a part of the brain called the cortex. Seizures after birth can be the result of brain infections or other conditions that decrease the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the baby’s brain. Seizures after birth must be promptly diagnosed and treated; seizures are not only a sign of brain injury, but can also cause additional brain damage, thereby making an existing injury even worse.
The most common cause of neonatal seizures is hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen during or near the time of birth. Approximately 80% of neonatal seizure cases can be attributed to HIE. This fetal oxygen deprivation can be due to decreased oxygen in the baby’s blood (hypoxemia or hypoxia) and/or decreased blood flow (ischemia) to the brain. Conditions that can cause HIE and seizures after birth include:
Nuchal cords and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) can both cause neonatal seizures
Seizures in newborns are categorized as subtle, clonic, tonic, or myoclonic:
The primary diagnostic test for verifying seizure activity and determining the location of the brain affected is an EEG. When an EEG is performed, electrodes are attached to the baby’s head. The electrodes read the electrical activity of the brain and show the changes that occur over time. The results appear on-screen as well as on printed strips.
Seizures after birth are one sign that a birth injury may have occurred, but are not the only sign. They following signs may also be cause for concern and warrant further investigation:
In order to avoid seizures after birth, all medical personnel must strictly follow standards of care. A mother and baby must be closely monitored during labor and delivery, and proper prenatal testing must be performed in order to avoid the conditions causing seizures after birth, such as HIE and infection. Failure to properly monitor a mother and baby and to follow standards of care is medical negligence. If a physician fails to recognize signs that a baby is having or is likely to have seizures after birth, and the seizures and their underlying causes go untreated, it is medical malpractice.
If your child was diagnosed with HIE and/or seizures after birth, a review of the medical records can determine whether negligence played a role in causing the injury. The award-winning birth injury attorneys at Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers have experience in handling birth injury and seizure cases for clients throughout the nation, and can help your family obtain the compensation you deserve. To begin your free legal consultation, please reach out to our legal team in whichever way best suits your needs:
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