Most birth injuries will occur due to
medical malpractice or negligence before a child is born or during delivery. “Most”
is not all, though, as some will occur after the child is born and taken
into further care. Medical providers in neonatal intensive care units
(NICU) and pediatric intensive care units (PICU) need to exercise utmost
care and caution when working with newborns and young children who have
debilitating health complications. Otherwise, they could commit medical
negligence of their own and cause an after-birth injury.

What Causes NICU & PICU Trauma?

NICUs and PICUs are similar to any other sort of intensive care unit in
a hospital setting in that the patients there have severe health conditions
that require around-the-clock or specialized care. In such a high-stakes
environment, a single mistake can trigger a domino effect of negative
consequences that endanger infants and toddlers. Any deviation of acceptable
and cautious medical care is entirely unacceptable and should be challenged
with a claim for compensation or a lawsuit.

Examples of medical negligence in a NICU or PICU that could cause birth
or after-birth injury are:

  • Failure to monitor: Perhaps the most common form of medical negligence in a NICU is simply
    not watching an infant patient closely enough. Failing to monitor their
    vital signs, or for traditional signs of distress like crying, can allow
    a serious health problem to persist and worsen.
  • Misdiagnosis: Infant and toddler patients cannot communicate what is hurting them to
    doctors. A birth injury that affects their development, like a
    brain injury, will make patient-doctor communication difficult even if the child is
    a few years old. As such, it is all the more likely a medical provider
    will commit a misdiagnosis in a NICU or PICU. Difficulty of treatment,
    however, is not an excuse for medical negligence.
  • Exhaustion: Working in a NICU is a tiring experience when done correctly. It is important
    for hospitals and medical groups to staff NICUs well enough to make certain
    fatigue does not set in enough to reduce a medical provider’s efficiency.
  • Inexperience: A new NICU doctor or nurse has to start somewhere, but inexperienced medical
    providers should not be directed to take care of infants with birth injuries
    and complications on their own. Serious complications can be averted by
    scheduling veteran medical providers with newcomers as they improve their practice.
  • Miscommunications: Within a NICU or PICU, medical providers need to be constantly sharing
    information with one another about a patient’s needs and developments.
    Miscommunications can lead to avoidable mistakes, such as mixing up patient files.

Seek Compensation with Beam Legal Team

If your child suffered a birth injury at any point, including while in
NICU, you might be able to seek fair and maximized compensation. Discover
your rights as the parent of a child with a birth injury caused by medical
negligence by working with Beam Legal Team. We have become the go-to name
in birth injury representation across the nation due to our experience,
tenacity, and
history of success.


You can call (866) 404-5221 or
contact online at any time to request a no-cost case evaluation with our team.

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