Kernicterus Lawsuits

Kernicterus Can Cause Severe Brain Damage to a Newborn Baby and Result in Long-Term Disability and Even Death

Kernicterus is a rare but serious disease that occurs when severe jaundice in a newborn infant goes undiagnosed and untreated. Many medical experts believe kernicterus is a “never event,” meaning it is entirely preventable. Kernicterus can cause severe brain damage to a newborn baby and ultimately result in long-term disability and even death.

If your baby has kernicterus, you may have a medical malpractice claim against doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners who failed to provide proper medical treatment. The malpractice claim is for the harm your child has suffered, and for the lifetime cost of care and treatment for your child.

How Undiagnosed, Untreated Jaundice Leads to Kernicterus

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin that commonly manifests during the first three to five days of an infant’s life. It is caused when the baby has too much of a pigment formed in the liver, called bilirubin, in his/her blood. This condition is known as hyperbilirubinemia.

Common signs that a newborn with jaundice is at risk for kernicterus include:

• Yellowing of the skin in the first 24 hours after birth
• Yellowing of the whites of the eyes
• Lethargy (the baby is not alert, difficult to wake up or can’t be kept awake)
• Shrill, high-pitched cry
• Weak, limp or floppy appearance
• Tendency to lie unnaturally in bed, with body arching or bowing upward when lying on back

Many times, jaundice will go away without treatment. However, if jaundice is severe and treatment is required, the main treatment is to place the baby under special blue lights, called “bili lights,” for a number of hours, or wrapped in a “bili-blanket.” This treatment is called phototherapy. It helps remove the bilirubin from the blood, which avoids the development of kernicterus. When a baby is severely jaundiced, doctors can also perform a blood transfusion to remove the extra bilirubin, referred to as an “exchange transfusion.”

Long-Term Medical Complications Caused by Kernicterus

Babies with kernicterus may suffer from long-term medical complications including:

• Athetoid cerebral palsy
• Intellectual disabilities
• Hearing loss or deafness
• Problems with vision and teeth

Trial Lawyers for Life’s Most Challenging Moments

The attorneys at Feldman Shepherd have a proven history of achieving record-breaking multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements throughout the U.S. for the families of children injured by medical mistakes that cause kernicterus and other neonatal and birth injuries. We understand the impact these injuries have on children and their families, and we are committed to providing compassionate, but resolute, legal representation that meets the special needs of our young clients and their families.

Call us to learn how we can help your family at (877) 595-9761.