The problems surrounding Topamax have been widely publicized in the recent months. The epilepsy and migraine headache medication has been linked to birth defects, such as cleft lip and cleft palate, when taken by women during pregnancy. Aside from the oral malformation, young babies may also experience a number of other significant health problems in their early years. One of the paramount dangers iS potential hearing problems or total hearing loss in young children. Birth defect attorneys stress the importance of seeking medical assistance as soon as possible.
Hearing Impairment Possible in Children with Cleft Lip and Palate
After a child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, physicians often seek to limit the potential threat to the hearing and speech abilities of the baby. Birth defect attorneys say that a tympanostomy tube is usually inserted into the child’s eardrum. This tube is readily used to aerate the middle of the baby’s ear. It is the hope of medical physicians that this will allow the hearing ability of the young child to flourish. Although there are different means by which to help with hearing ability, hearing impairment is very prevalent in children with a cleft palate. This is because the eustachian tubes often can not open properly due to issues with the tensor muscle fibers. When these muscle fibers lack an anchor to open the eustachian tubes, the secretion of fluid is possible. As air in the middle ear begins to be absorbed by the mucous membrane, the negative pressure is unable to be compensated for. The result is secretion of fluid in the middle ear space from the mucous membrane. This middle ear effusion could lead to hearing loss in these young babies. Birth defect attorneys say that medical treatment and consultations at an early age will help the child counteract potentially harmful symptoms later in life.
Birth Defect Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your child was born with a birth defect, such as cleft lip or cleft palate, that you believe is attributable to your use of Topamax during pregnancy, you probably have some questions for a birth defect attorney. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Many parents are alarmed after their child’s surgery when new scars are red. During the healing process, the body re-routes blood vessles to the scar to bring an extra supply of blood, creating that red color. The red will progressively darken for about three months and will be raised off the skin and stiff to the touch. Eventually, the scar will fade, soften, and flatten. Ultimately, the scar should look like a soft, flat, white line.
Many young children who suffer from a cleft palate may also have a alveolar ridge defect. The alveolus is the upper gum where the teeth are located. Defects in the alveous are not uncommon in young children who suffer from birth defects such as cleft palate. These defects in the upper gum may first displace or rotate the permanent teeth that have grown in. Secondly, in young children, these defects may prevent the adult or permanent teeth from descending and appearing. Finally, we say that this sort of defect may also prevent the alveolar ridge from properly forming. These can develop into serious problems for children and parents should seek dental consultation as soon as possible. Fortunately, we know that these problems are fairly common and can generally be fixed through some form of oral surgery. Following surgery, the young child will be able to show off a beautiful smile without any displacement or rotation of the teeth.
Following the initial heart surgery, Pinarkyil began experiencing some cardiac abnormalities in addition to displaying some signs of shock. Doctors treated him with additional fluids and medications but there was no significant improvement in his condition. Over the following two days, Pinarkyil’s cardiac output was dramatically reduced. Pinarkyil’s initial surgery was on June 1st, 2007, by June 4th he was dead. The death occurred because doctors failed to recognize that the shock and dramatic health issues seen after surgery could be directly linked to the man’s heart. We believe that if the proper devices would have been used, such as an intra-aortic balloon pump, Pinarkyil would not have had organ failure. As Mr. Pinarkyil lost his life, it is hard not to feel the most sympathy for his widow and three young children. Pinarkyil’s medical malpractice attorney stated, “our hope is that this compensation will help offset the financial impact of his loss to his widow and daughters, as well as the son who will grow up without ever having met his father.”
During discovery, each party will conduct interrogatories, depositions, and file many requests for documents, in an effort to get to the bottom of the controversy. The plaintiff is required to prove each and every element of negligence (by a preponderance of evidence in civil court) in order to prevail in his or her medical malpractice claim. The first element is that the defendant (the physician, nurse, or hospital) owed a duty to the patient, such as caring for them or providing treatment. 
The lawsuit, filed by the estate of Ms. Farrell, charged the hospital and Dr. Shander with negligence, but a Superior Court jury found that neither was liable for any form of malpractice. Nearly three years later, the appellate court put a halt on the lower court’s ruling because the trial judge should have asked potential jurors if they had read a New York Times Article before the trial began. The article could have potentially swayed the emotions and prejudices of the jurors which could have led to an unfair influence on the verdict. 
Seventy-two year old Christine Williams went in to Naval Hospital Jacksonville to have a mass removed from one of her kidneys. The procedure was expected to keep Ms. Williams in the hospital for three days and then allow her to resume normal activities. Those three days turned into four months. Ms. Williams then contacted 