Practice Areas

• Birth Injury
• Delay in Cancer Diagnosis
• Nursing Home Negligence
• Undiagnosed Infections
• Heart Attacks Misdiagnosed

Blog

Birth Injury

• Indicators of Medical Malpractice For Birth Injuries; Kingston, Medical Malpractice Attorney Discusses
• Breaking News: Landmark Case Finds Standard Defense in Obstetrical Medical Malpractice Cases as Scientifically Invalid!
• FL Wrongful Birth Medical Malpractice Case Yields $4.5 Award; Repercussions in New York?
• Most OB-GYN Guidelines are Based on Opinion and Weak Information!
• Smoking and Birth Defects Are Now Definitively Linked! Click Here To Find Out More!

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News

New York Law Journal quotes John Fisher in a landmark case for patient rights...
Posted on 2/8/2012

$900,000 settlement of Erb's Palsy case against obstetrician...
Posted on 12/15/2010

Extraordinary Settlement for mishanding of Cesarean Section...
Posted on 4/7/2010

Is the fear of lawsuits responsible for the rising C-Section rates?...
Posted on 4/5/2010

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Library

Birth Injury

• Birth injury is preventable in most cases in Kingston, New York
• Learn what you can expect in each stage of your labor and delivery in Kingston, New York
• Spotting signs of fetal distress can be crucial to the prevention of birth injuries in Kingston, New York
• Find out why you may not want to induce your labor in Kingston, New York
• Learn the warning signs of a placenta abruption and be prepared for his potentially fatal complication in Kingston, New York

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Excessive jaundice in a newborn kills developing brain cells and may cause mental retardation, physical abnormalities or blindess.

Jaundice is the discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eye caused by abnormally high levels of bilirubin. In adults and other children, jaundice is harmless. But the tissues protecting the brain (the blood-brain barrier) are immature in newborns. In newborns, bilirubin can penetrate the brain and literally stains the nerve bodies, causing irreversible damage. Depending on the level of exposure, the effects range from unnoticeable to severe brain damage (known as kernicterus).

Bilirubin is one of the waste products of red blood cells. Ordinarily, bilirubin is excreted from the body as the chief component of bile. Too much bilirubin may means that the function of the newborn's liver is compromised.

Very high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream can cause permanent damage to certain areas of the brain of newborn infants, known as kernicterus. Kernicterus is damage to the brain centers of infants caused by jaundice. The excessive levels of bilirubin can cause a characteristic form of cerebral palsy known as athetoid cerebral palsy.

To prevent this from happening, bilirubin levels are monitored in newborns. There are two different chemical forms of bilirubin--direct (or conjugated) and indirect (unconjugated) bilirubin. Doctors may order bilirubin tests, along with liver enzyme tests, when jaundice is present.

Excessive levels of bilirubin are treated either by phototherapy ("bilirubin lights") or a blood exchange transfusion. The bilirubin level can be decreased by exposing newborns to ultraviolet light.

If your newborn has jaundice, it is crucial that his/her doctors carefully monitor the bilirubin levels and begin treatment to reduce the bilirubin levels before irreversible brain damage occurs.

Video Library

Birth Injury:

• Shoulder Dystocia Birth Injury

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FAQ

Birth Injury

• What is cerebral palsy and can it be prevented?
• Why should the placenta be inspected by a pathologist after a traumatic birth?
• Is Kernicterus preventable?

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