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Some infections happen under excellent medical conditions and without a doctor being able to control the effects. In other cases, as with infant meningitis, medical mistakes can be responsible for failing to prevent, diagnose, and treat, leading to serious complications and even death.
Meningitis is a severe infection that can damage the brain and spinal cord. However, with prompt and proper treatment, some people can fully recover. If your baby suffered a meningitis infection due to inadequate medical care, speak with a Cook County, IL birth injury lawyer to understand your options.
Is Infant Meningitis Fatal?
There are two main
Continue Reading Medical Malpractice and Infant Meningitis

When you are pregnant, health concerns change because, in addition to taking care of your own health, you are already starting to take care of your baby. Pregnant women often change their diet, exercise, lifestyle, and other habits to encourage safe and healthy development for their babies. During the nine months of pregnancy, there are regular checkups and scans intended to monitor the baby’s growth and warn of any developing issues.
However, pregnant women are just as prone as anyone else to contract infections. If they are not treated promptly, some maternal infections can pose a serious fetal harm.
Continue Reading Can Untreated Maternal Infection Hurt a Fetus? | IL

Many expecting mothers create a birth plan that outlines how they want their delivery to occur. They think through all the scenarios they can imagine and decide things like whether they will want an epidural, dimmed lights, calming music, or a water birth. However, some scenarios cannot be foreseen. For example, a baby can suffer from shoulder dystocia during birth and develop an injury called Erb’s Palsy. If your baby has Erb’s Palsy due to negligence during birth, you might be eligible for compensation. Speak with a qualified Chicago, IL birth injury attorney to learn more.
What is Erb’s
Continue Reading Proving Negligence in an Illinois Erb’s Palsy Case

If you or your baby were injured at birth, it is reasonable to assume you had more pressing things to take care of immediately than preparing a legal case against the medical personnel who were responsible. Recovering from a traumatic birth and treating any injuries while caring for a newborn can certainly take up a lot of time and attention. If you are now ready to consider your legal options, speak with an experienced Chicago, IL birth injury lawyer to understand whether you are still within the statute of limitations to file a claim.
How Long After Birth Can
Continue Reading What is the Statute of Limitations for a Birth Injury Claim?

People tend to trust their doctors to give them the best medical care they can and avoid unnecessary procedures. We expect to be asked for our consent before something potentially painful and harmful is done, especially if there is no clear medical necessity for it. The husband stitch is an example of a medical procedure that is not meant to improve the patient’s health and is often performed without the patient’s consent. While it is mostly unreported and undocumented, the practice of adding a husband stitch would fall under the category of medical malpractice if it can be proven. If
Continue Reading The Husband Stitch and the Need for Consent

A new program in Illinois called the Birth Equity Initiative is making a big difference for mothers and babies. The initiative works towards closing gaps to ensure that all mothers and babies receive the care they need during pregnancy and childbirth. This is a major step towards ensuring equal access to the proper medical care associated with a healthy birth, regardless of their background, income, or where they live. If you are interested in finding out more, speak with a trustworthy Chicago, IL lawyer from the Birth Injury Alliance.
What Is the Birth Equity Initiative?
The Birth Equity Initiative is
Continue Reading Understanding the Birth Equity Initiative in Illinois

When you and your wife discovered that she was pregnant, you were elated. Together, you were in awe of the miracle of life, and as each month passed, you imagined how life would be with your new addition. When something went wrong in the delivery room, you went from joyous excitement to panic and dread immediately. What should have been your happiest day ever quickly turned into your worst nightmare as maternal death left you alone to raise your baby while grieving.
Death is an inevitable part of life and is sometimes unavoidable in childbirth. However, there are times when
Continue Reading Legal Recourse When Your Wife Dies in Labor

If you follow local news, you may know that a suburban Chicago physician recently pled guilty to federal fraud charges. Among other actions, the doctor requested insurance payments for medically unnecessary procedures, performing some of them without the patient’s informed consent.
Unneeded procedures may cause temporary or permanent maternal injuries; some also endanger pregnancies. If you believe you or your baby suffered harm from unnecessary procedures, you may be eligible to seek compensation with the help of an experienced, compassionate attorney from Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd..
Are Unnecessary Procedures Medical Malpractice?
In this context, an unnecessary treatment is
Continue Reading Your OBGYN Ordered Unneeded Procedures: What Should You Do?

Across the United States, vacuum extraction accounts for about 2.5 percent of all vaginal births, although the rates of vacuum extraction and forceps delivery have been falling as cesarean rates continue to climb. Birth injuries occur in about seven out of every 1,000 live births.  Both forceps and vacuum extraction work in the same way by guiding the baby out of the birth canal during delivery.
The vacuum looks and acts like a suction cup placed on the baby’s skull. The suction guides the baby’s head as the mother pushes. Vacuum extraction is used once the cervix is completely dilated
Continue Reading What Are Vacuum Extraction Birth Injuries?

Difficulty forming words and speaking clearly, along with other speech and language disorders, are present in more than three-quarters of those with cerebral palsy. A lack of control of the throat, mouth, and tongue muscles can cause both children and adults with CP to experience excessive drooling. Receptive language involves what a child hears and how they understand what they hear. Expressive language is what a child says and how well they communicate with others.
Early communication interventions can significantly decrease the challenges associated with delays in speech and language. When a child cannot make themselves understood by others,
Continue Reading Speech Therapy for Communication Skills for Children with CP

Forceps are medical instruments used to assist in the delivery of a baby during childbirth. While they can be helpful in certain situations, improper use of forceps can lead to serious injuries to both the mother and the baby. If you suspect that forceps caused an injury during your child’s birth, it is important to understand how to prove this and seek appropriate legal action. An Illinois lawyer can help you get through this difficult case.
Common Injuries Caused By Forceps
Forceps can cause a range of injuries when used improperly during delivery. It is important to be aware of
Continue Reading How to Prove Forceps Led to an Injury During Birth

Fetal distress and delayed cesarean sections (C-sections) are serious issues that can lead to devastating consequences for both the baby and the mother. When medical professionals fail to recognize signs of fetal distress or do not perform a timely C-section, it may be considered medical malpractice. If you or your child have suffered harm due to a delayed C-section, an Illinois lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and options.
Recognizing Fetal Distress and the Importance of Timely C-Sections
Fetal distress occurs when a baby experiences oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) during labor or delivery. Various factors, including umbilical cord compression,
Continue Reading Possible Legal Actions for Delayed C-Section and Fetal Distress

A uterine rupture is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication that can occur during pregnancy or childbirth. If you have experienced this traumatic event because of medical negligence, you should take immediate action to protect your health and legal rights. An Illinois lawyer can help you understand this maternal injury so you know your rights to address the issue.
Always Seek Medical Attention First
Your health and well-being should always be the top priority. If you suspect that you have suffered a uterine rupture, seek emergency medical care right away. Symptoms may include severe abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, rapid heartbeat,
Continue Reading What to Do if You Experience Uterine Rupture from Negligence

The birth of a child is typically a joyous occasion for parents. However, complications during delivery, like meconium aspiration, can turn into a distressing experience. If your newborn has suffered from meconium aspiration due to medical negligence, an Illinois lawyer can help you understand your legal options.
What is Meconium Aspiration?
Meconium is a newborn’s first bowel movement, typically passed after birth. In some cases, the baby may pass meconium while still in the womb, leading to a condition known as meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). When a baby inhales meconium-stained amniotic fluid, it can cause severe respiratory distress and
Continue Reading Meconium Aspiration and Your Legal Options in Illinois

When a child has cerebral palsy, their coordination and movement do not develop typically. It can make it seem very hard to grow up in an environment that has been built for people who do not have CP. Many aspects of the disorder can prove challenging for a growing and developing child, but fortunately, advances in medicine have managed to find ways to significantly improve quality of life. This article will discuss one specific method for helping kids with CP navigate the world – speech therapy – and the ways it can help the child. Like all therapies, CP
Continue Reading 3 Ways Speech Therapy Can Help a Child with Cerebral Palsy

While the exact cause of cerebral palsy is often unknown, the neurodevelopmental disorder is commonly a result of brain damage that happens before or during birth. There is no cure for it, but there are various therapies and interventions that have been successful in helping improve the child’s quality of life.
One of these therapies is occupational therapy, which focuses on developing skills necessary for the performance of daily activities. Children who can be guided to conquer these skills gain more independence. While it can be costly, families of children with cerebral palsy often find that occupational therapy is
Continue Reading Cerebral Palsy and the Potential Benefits of Occupational Therapy