Kernicterus Compensation Claims
Kernicterus is a condition which occurs in new born babies through which high bilirubin levels in the blood cross the thin layer of tissues that separates the brain from the blood. This is known as hyperbilirubinemia, and it can take two forms: unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia or conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia can be fatal because of the unconjugated bilirubin itself, whereas conjugated hyperbilirubinemia allows for dangerous causative diseases to take effect on the new born. Kernicterus is also better known to many people as Jaundice.
What causes Hyperbilirubinemia?
One of the main causes of Jaundice are high bilirubin levels. This substance can cause extreme damage to the spinal cord and the brain. If the brain and spinal cord are subjected to damage, this can lead to serious illness and could, at worst, be fatal.
Is My Child at Risk of Developing Kernicterus?
When a baby is diagnosed with jaundice, he/she is treated with an ultra violet light. A child may be at risk of developing kernicterus if they already have high or rapidly rising levels of bilirubin in their blood (hyperbilirubinemia) and fail to receive treatment for it within good time.
What are the Long-Term Effects of Kernicterus?
If a doctors has failed to spot the jaundice in a new born baby, it can cause a significant amount of brain damage. This can easily affect your child for the rest of their life. These conditions can include:
• Involuntary twitching
• Learning difficulties
• Normal growth of the teeth can be impaired, resulting in the teeth that do form being misshapen, discoloured and very susceptible to decay.
• Cerebral palsy
• Loss of hearing
• Problems maintaining “normal” eye movements, child will have a tendency to gaze upwards or from side to side.
Am I Eligible to Make a Kernicterus Compensation Claim?
Making a Kernicterus compensation claims isn’t a complicated process. If you are armed with the results from the medical professional which perceives there was negligence in some part then you should make contact with us here at Tylers Solicitors. We are well acquainted with the law when it comes to medical claims and can easily take your case to court.
Is Tylers a No-Win, No=Fee Kernicterus Claims Solicitor?
Kernicterus compensations claims are only made when there is liability with regard to negligence of a practitioner. Signs of a condition must be evident with medical results as proof of the negligence before you can make a claim for compensation. Due to the condition involving a child, you may also have longer than the usual 3 years which is given to medical negligence claims.
Can Kernicterus be Prevented?
Kernicterus can easily be prevented by giving your child treatment for jaundice before it can intensify into more severe conditions. If you think your child is suffering from jaundice, medical professionals have a responsibility to monitor them and administer treatment to address the surge of bilirubin if your prediction is correct.
Although babies commonly develop jaundice, the chances of it progressing into kernicterus is extremely low. Midwives have a responsibility to monitor a baby’s condition and they must take the correct actions to treat jaundice early. When Jaundice is caught early enough it can be treated easily with a course of phototherapy. If this isn’t administered in time and there are further developments, they may be liable for the damage caused to the child.
If you believe your child has developed a condition such as brain damage or cerebral palsy as a result of medical negligence, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
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