A new and experimental technology being used in neonatal units across the country is helping reduce the occurrences of birth injury and permanent brain damage in babies who are deprived oxygen during child birth.
Umbilical Cord Compression Causes Oxygen Deprivation; Cooling Blanket Turns Everything Around
Sara was in the middle of a very difficult labor with her sixth child, Yehuda, when the umbilical cord became compressed and he was no longer receiving oxygen. At that point, it became a necessity to remove Yehuda from the birth canal as quickly as possible; so quickly, that even a C-Section would have taken too long.
With the use of forceps, the doctor was able to extract Yehuda, but the infant was limp and unresponsive. He had little to strength, and the outcome looked grim.
A few hours later, Sara and her husband were offered a new option, one that had only been used on a child at the Hackensack University Medical Center once before; a new technology called cooling therapy. The therapy involved wrapping the infant in a cooling blanket to lower his temperature. The theory is that lowering a newborn’s temperature will slow the brain’s metabolism, brain inflammation, and the release of harmful toxins that can occur after brain injury. Slowing the process is key, as oxygen deprivation takes an extended period of time to do most of it’s damage.
For three days, Yehuda remained in the cooling blanket. After the treatment, “He was amazing,” his mother said. He had minimal bruising on his head, and other than that, was a healthy baby boy.
And while not all babies will respond as Yehuda did, many lives can be saved with this new and quite safe technology.
Birth Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your child suffered a traumatic brain injury due to negligence in the delivery, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the birth injury lawyers at the Mininno Law Office work to earn you the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.