Tachysystole occurs if a laboring woman has more than five contractions in 10 minutes. Although contractions are normal, they need to settle into a pattern that allows the fetus time to recover and replenish its oxygen. Tachysystole can harm a baby because he or she cannot tolerate extra contractions for too long before suffering hypoxia or acidosis from the lack of oxygen. There are some medical conditions that may cause tachysystole, such as preeclampsia, placental abruption, or maternal dehydration. However, one common cause is the administration of too much Pitocin by a health care professional. A Chicago tachysystole lawyer may be able to help you take legal action if you suffered from tachysystole, and you believe it harmed your baby. You should consult the birth injury lawyers at Moll Law Group about your situation.
During labor, the uterus typically contracts in a regular pattern in order to push the baby into the birth canal. When the baby comes into the birth canal, the cervix experiences pressure from the baby's head, which causes it to open or dilate, resulting in the delivery. Sometimes Pitocin, which is oxytocin, is administered in order to stimulate labor contractions and help the baby be born. However, it must be administered properly. To that end, hospitals have specific protocols on how to administer it.
Nurses are trained to watch for signs that the Pitocin is causing tachysystole, among other problems, since tachysystole can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. When nurses are not trained adequately, or a doctor fails to respond appropriately to the tachysystole, the blood flow is stopped for too long. A contraction every 3-4 minutes is safe for a baby, but if there are more than five contractions in 10 minutes, it is unsafe. The baby is deprived of oxygen for too long, and they can suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. A nurse is supposed to monitor the contractions and perform various tasks to stop the contractions from happening too fast in order to guard against these injuries.
In order to recover compensation arising out of a brain injury to a baby because of improperly monitored tachysystole, a tachysystole attorney in Chicago will need to establish that:
Often, attorneys for a nurse or doctor will look at whether a mother had some other medical condition that could have caused the tachysystole. For example, they may point to a mother's preeclampsia as the cause, even if Pitocin was also administered. In that case, there may be a battle of the experts, with each side claiming a different cause for the tachysystole.
If you successfully establish a medical malpractice claim, you may recover economic and noneconomic forms of compensation on behalf of the baby and you. In many cases, this is the only way for parents to be able to afford the expensive, life-long care that is associated with brain damage in a child.
If your baby suffered injuries due to preventable tachysystole, the Chicago tachysystole attorneys at Moll Law Group are available to sue the responsible health care providers on your behalf. We represent injured individuals and families in Naperville, Schaumburg, Wheaton, and many Cook County communities. Billions of dollars have been recovered in cases in which we have been involved. You can contact us online or call us at 312-462-1700 to arrange a free consultation with a medical malpractice attorney.