Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

A birth injury may have a lifelong impact on your child. If your child suffered from brain damage due to meconium aspiration syndrome at birth, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against your physician. At the Arfaa Law Group, Baltimore birth injury attorney Julia Arfaa has the skill, experience, and resources to counsel you. She can identify conduct that may support a medical malpractice claim and aggressively seek the compensation that your family deserves.

Typically, a newborn baby’s meconium (the first feces of the newborn) is stored in the intestines until after delivery. If the baby is distressed, however, it may pass this stool into the amniotic fluid and actually breathe it in. This is known as meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), and it is a serious medical condition because it may block the baby’s air passages, decrease oxygen supply, cause lung inflammation, and create other problems as well. When MAS occurs, it is imperative for medical professionals to act quickly to restore normal breathing and avoid further complications. In some cases, the full effects of meconium aspiration may not be apparent until 24 to 48 hours later.

If your baby sustained a preventable birth injury, you may be able to seek compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. Medical malpractice claims are rooted in the theory of negligence. In this context, negligence refers to the failure of a medical professional to take proper care when treating a mother or child. Specifically, an obstetrician has committed medical malpractice if they caused harm to a baby by failing to act as a reasonable obstetrician would have acted under the same circumstances. The plaintiff must demonstrate that their harm was a direct outcome of the defendant’s failure to meet this standard.

In medical malpractice cases, medical experts are required to explain the standard of care in the relevant medical specialty for treating a patient with the same condition. The expert must also verify that there is more than a 50 percent chance that the harm would not have taken place if medical malpractice had not occurred. This is critical to establishing the causation element of a negligence claim.

The statute of limitations in Maryland governs the time within which a plaintiff may file these types of lawsuits. While there are exceptions, a plaintiff generally has three years from the discovery of the injury or five years from the occurrence of the injury, whichever is earlier.

When your child has suffered a preventable birth injury, having an experienced medical malpractice attorney on your side may be extremely helpful. At the Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to helping Maryland residents understand their legal rights and options. You can rest assured that Baltimore birth injury lawyer Julia Arfaa will take all of the necessary steps to gather the evidence needed to build a strong case. We represent parents throughout the state of Maryland. Call us today at 410-889-1850 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.