Fetal asphyxia is a condition in which a fetus has decreased oxygen levels (hypoxemia) and increased levels of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia). This can cause any number of serious birth injuries or even death. In Illinois and elsewhere, a failure to properly monitor a fetus in utero during the birth process can lead to this condition.
An Illinois woman claims that her infant suffered from seizures and fetal asphyxia during her birth. Nov. 25, 2010 should have been the best day of the woman’s life. She went into active labor on that day and went to VHS West Suburban Medical Center to have her baby.
It was determined that she needed a Caesarean section and was taken into an operating room. During the procedure, the woman’s blood pressure dropped to a dangerous level. While medical personnel were dealing with that, the fetal monitor was disconnected.
According to the complaint, it was disconnected for nearly 68 minutes. She claims that her daughter suffered from seizures and fetal asphyxia during that time period. She alleges that if her daughter been properly monitored, that would not have happened.
The court will be responsible for determining whether the birth injuries suffered by this woman’s daughter were due to negligence on the part of the medical personnel and/or hospital attending to her and her baby. If the evidence presented successfully documents medical malpractice, monetary damages could be awarded. Any restitution received as a result of a successful lawsuit could help with the current and future medical needs of the child.
Source: Oak Park-River Forest IL Patch, “Mother sues Oak Park Hospital for Daughter’s Brain Damage“, Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez, Dec. 29, 2015