FAILURE TO TREAT JAUNDICE

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin that results from abnormally high blood levels of bilirubin and can occur in newborn babies. While the condition rarely leads to more serious ailments, left untreated it can become extremely dangerous for an infant.

What is Jaundice?

Jaundice is not a disease in and of itself. Instead, it is a symptom of an underlying condition. It presents as yellowing of the skin and eyes, occurring when too much bilirubin develops within the body. Bilirubin is a byproduct formed when the liver breaks down red blood cells. A healthy liver breaks down the old cells and creates bilirubin, which is then removed from the body through waste. If the liver fails to metabolize the bilirubin correctly, too much of it builds up within the body and jaundice develops.

Jaundice is common among infants because their livers have not yet fully developed, though the condition can also indicate a more serious problem. A damaged liver may not be able to adequately break down the old cells. Bilirubin levels may also be high because they could not make it to the baby’s digestive tract for normal removal from the body. The condition may also result from too many red blood cells dying at once.

How Jaundice Should be Treated

Doctors generally take a small blood sample from an infant’s toe to determine the severity of jaundice. If the results indicate a mild or moderate case, treatment usually consists of phototherapy, started in the hospital and continued after the baby is taken home. Light waves enter the baby’s body through the skin and help transform the bilirubin into waste for elimination through the bowels. Using this treatment, most infant cases of jaundice clear up within a week or two. However, left untreated, mild cases of jaundice can become more serious.

Severe cases of jaundice may require longer hospitalization and more intense therapies. As reported by the Mayo Clinic, a newborn may require intravenous transfusion of blood protein that reduces antibody levels. Other cases may require a blood transfusion to dilute the bilirubin and any maternal antibodies within the child.

The Effects of Untreated Jaundice

Left untreated, high levels of bilirubin can be toxic to an infant’s body. Acute bilirubin encephalopathy is a condition that occurs when bilirubin reaches the baby’s brain, potentially causing extensive damage. Our experienced Baltimore birth injury attorneys understand the devastating permanent damage that this type of birth injury can cause within the baby’s brain, including:

• Cerebral palsy
• Impaired or total loss of hearing
• Permanent upward gaze

Aggressive legal service from Maryland and Washington D.C. attorneys when physicians fail to provide adequate treatment

You rely on your physicians to provide your baby with accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. If your child’s jaundice was not properly treated, secure trustworthy legal representation from the attorneys of Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A. Contact our office at 410-234-1000 to arrange a free consultation.

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