Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

A Comprehensive Guide to the Literature for Personal Injury Lawyers

Publisher: Medifocus Legal
Publication Date: October 11, 2024
Number of Pages: 129
Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a serious neurological condition that occurs in newborns primarily due to a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This condition can result from various complications during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. These complications may include placental abruption, umbilical cord problems, or prolonged labor. The incidence of HIE is estimated to be between 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births, though rates can be higher in high-risk populations or in cases of preterm infants.

When the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen, it can lead to brain cell injury or death, potentially resulting in lasting neurological impairment. The severity of HIE varies widely, with some infants experiencing only mild symptoms that resolve quickly, while others may experience more severe, prolonged symptoms resulting in significant disabilities, including cognitive delays, motor disorders, or even death.

Diagnosis of HIE typically involves clinical assessment and may include imaging studies such as MRI to evaluate the extent of brain injury. Immediate interventions for HIE focus on stabilizing the infant, often including therapeutic hypothermia, which can help mitigate brain damage if initiated within the first 6-hours of life. Awareness and prompt management are vital for minimizing the long-term impacts of this serious condition.

Litigating cases involving HIE in newborn infants can often be complex as well as contentious. Common issues in dispute between plaintiff and defense attorneys include: causation; whether the medical professionals involved met the standard of care; whether timely interventions that may mitigate brain injury were performed or if delays contributed to the infant's condition; and the estimation of economic and non-economic damages.

Medical literature plays a crucial role in litigating cases involving neonatal HIE by providing evidence-based support for the various claims in dispute. Here are several ways literature can be used:

1. Causation Evidence - Research studies that demonstrate the relationship between specific medical actions (or inactions) can help establish causation. For example, literature that links delayed therapeutic hypothermia with worsened outcomes can support claims regarding the necessity of timely interventions.
   


2. Establishing Standard of Care - Medical literature can help define the accepted standards of care for managing high-risk pregnancies and deliveries that are known risk factors for neonatal HIE. It can provide guidelines on monitoring, intervention protocols, and recommended practices to support claims of negligence.
   


3. Understanding Mechanisms of Brain Injury - Literature on the pathophysiology of HIE can aid in explaining the injury mechanisms to a court. This can clarify how lack of oxygen affects brain cells, which is essential for understanding the link between hypoxemia/ischemia and the resulting brain encephalopathy.
   


4. Prognosis and Outcome - Studies detailing long-term outcomes for infants with HIE can provide a basis for understanding the potential future negative impacts on the child's quality of life. This can influence claims for damages by outlining expected medical needs and the associated costs.
   


5. Expert Testimony Support - Peer-reviewed medical literature can significantly bolster the credibility of medical experts who may testify in cases involving neonatal HIE. When experts reference well-regarded studies or consensus guidelines, their testimony can be perceived by a jury as both more authoritative as well as more persuasive.

The MediFocus Literature Guide to Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy is a unique, comprehensive reference guide to the medical literature designed to help personal injury attorneys develop an in-depth understanding of HIE and the spectrum of disabilities such as developmental delays, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive impairment associated with this serious condition. This objective is accomplished by a thorough review of the peer-reviewed medical literature published over the past 15 years as documented from case reports, cohort studies, and major topical review articles

The MediFocus Literature Guide to Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy is available both as a soft-cover book and as a PDF download. Order your copy today. Please see the side panel for more information.
Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy is a one-of-a-kind literature reference Guide that includes:

• A comprehensive bibliography of 153 journal article references indexed in MEDLINE published in well respected medical and scientific journals.
• Online access to the abstracts (summaries) of the articles.
• Online access to the free full-text version of 48 articles.
• Links to full-text sources of other articles that are available for purchase directly from individual journal publishers.
• A unique "Author Directory" consisting of the names and institutional affiliations of experts who have published and have specialized knowledge about Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy. The "Author Directory" is a valuable resource for quickly identifying and locating experts for case reviews, opinions, and testimony.

Select examples of topics that are covered by the articles referenced in this Guidebook include:

• Ethical and Legal Perspectives on the Treatment of Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy in the Newborn.
• Long-Term Outcomes Following Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Current status and controversies in the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
• Socioemotional and Psychological Outcomes of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Systematic Review
• Factors affecting early childhood growth in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia.
• Neurological and Visual Outcomes in Infants and Toddlers Following Therapeutic Hypothermia for Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Spectrum: Severity-Stratified Analysis of Neuroimaging Modalities and Association with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.
• Acute kidney injury in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
• Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Hypothermia Treatment.
• Gross and Histologic Placental Abnormalities Associated With Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Parents' Experiences of Therapeutic Hypothermia for Neonates With Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Predict Neurodevelopmental Impairment in Infants after Hypoxic- Ischemic Injury.
• Exposure to Maternal Diabetes during Pregnancy Is Associated with Aggravated Short-Term Neonatal and Neurological Outcomes following Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Unconjugated bilirubin is correlated with the severeness and neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
• Growth and developmental outcomes of infants with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
• Placental Histologic Abnormalities and 2-Year Outcomes in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Clinical Prediction Models and Predictors for Death or Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Term Newborns with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Outcomes of Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Treated with Magnesium Sulfate
• Changes of Functional Brain Network in Neonates with Different Degrees of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy.
• Brain injury following mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates-Ten-year experience in a tertiary perinatal center.

The MediFocus Literature Guide on Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy is available in two formats:
PDF Format (available for immediate download to your computer) List Price: $ 134.95 Less Discount: $ 65.00 Your Discounted Price: $ 69.95	Soft-Cover Book (includes free PDF download plus free shipping in United States) List Price: $ 164.95 Less Discount: $ 65.00 Your Discounted Price: $ 99.95
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