Pitocin Side Effects May Lead To Birth Injury – Chicago Injury Attorneys

Birth Injury

The birth of a child is a momentous occasion because a life is being brought forth into a family that looks forward to the addition of another member into their unit. Birth itself is fraught with risks which are ideally mitigated in a hospital setting with experienced and competent doctors. Unfortunately, birth injury malpractice in Illinois is a common occurrence which should not happen as medical resources as well as technology prevent these if they are employed in the right manner.

Are you looking for a Pitocin medical malpractice attorney in Chicago? If you were given Pitocin to help your labor along but then went on to give birth to a child with brain damage and subsequently, cerebral palsy, we can help. Please call us NOW at 1 (773) 825-3547 to learn more about how we put our more than 70 years of legal experience to work for you. Medical malpractice cases in Illinois must be handled with the seriousness they deserve because there’s so much at stake: getting you and your loved one the maximum allowable compensation will help take care of your child’s special needs for the duration of their life as brain injury, unfortunately, cannot be medically resolved. Don’t settle for lowball offers from the insurance company: please call us NOW at 1 (773) 825-3547 for your FREE legal consultation with one of our best medical malpractice attorneys in Chicago.

Pitocin is the name for a synthetic analogue of oxytocin, a hormone naturally produced by the mother to help with the dilation of the cervix so that the baby can pass through it and into the birth canal. In some cases, doctors may administer this hormone if they think that the labor process may be problematic due to a variety of reasons such as the mother being unwell at the time of labor, having a child with an unusually large head, to control bleeding shortly after birth, and to prevent ongoing fetal distress.

There’s not a lot of literature about Pitocin; as a result, its administration is fraught with a number of risks and doctors must use it carefully and monitor both the baby and mother’s vital signs at all time.

What Does Pitocin Do to The Baby?

Should you be given too much Pitocin, here are some of the consequences you may experience:

  • Fetal asphyxia or the interruption of the flow of oxygen to the baby
  • Hemorrhage of the mother after birth
  • Stillbirth
  • Paralysis due to sufficient oxygen not reaching the baby’s brain
  • Uterine rupture
  • Premature placental separation
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Brain injury

Even if your child survives a Pitocin event, they may have to contend with liver failure requiring a possible transplant later in life, heart issues, and developmental delays.

Pitocin Risks to the Mother

Pitocin is administered using an intravenous pump which means that the mother receives a continuous stream of medication. It causes hard and fast labor which can not only be traumatizing for first time recipients, but it can also put the mother’s life at risk via arrhythmia preceding a cardiac event or subarachnoid hemorrhage which may end up being fatal.

Pitocin Negligence and Birth Injury

Pitocin negligence usually happens when a physician uses too much of the medication, or they don’t monitor both the mother and baby during its administration. There’s also the question of “what would other physicians do if they were in the same position I’m in?” when it comes to a physician deciding to perform a Pitocin induction. Legally, doctors are required to follow set standard care guidelines and employ the reasonable administration of medical care for all procedures, failure to which they may be considered as having acted in a negligent manner.

Pitocin Brain Damage Birth Injury Attorneys – Call Us Today!

If you believe that your child’s birth injury in Illinois was caused by Pitocin negligence, please contact our best birth injury attorneys in Illinois by calling 1 (773) 825-3547 to speak with one of our experienced medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago for FREE. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you.