Pediatric malpractice: Newborn mishaps and misdiagnosis

On Behalf of | Dec 16, 2021 | Medical Malpractice |

Birth injuries in West Virginia can be a matter of pediatric malpractice. Whenever a pediatrician fails to operate in accordance with medical standards and the result is harm to a patient, there could be legal consequences.

Newborn injury

Parents can be devastated when a child is born with a defect or injury. The pain is intensified if the defect or injury is the direct result of clinician error.

Birth injuries are unfortunately common. Still, a clinician has a responsibility to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the child is safe. The injury, its severity, what areas of the body are affected and the injury’s impact on the child in the long term all play a part in an accusation of pediatric malpractice. Severe injuries can result in mental or physical handicaps that affect the entire family for life.

Misdiagnosis

Managing illness and disease with children is indeed harder. They do not communicate as well as adults and have difficulty explaining what’s wrong. Babies and toddlers cannot speak for themselves, which leaves caregivers to attempt speaking for the child.

A misdiagnosis of a disorder, injury or disease by a pediatrician can result in mistreatment or a lack of administering proper treatment altogether. It’s a grave error that leads to tragic consequences. Among the misdiagnoses in this arena are missing signs of meningitis, appendicitis and pneumonia. Another common error in the field is not recognizing a cancerous condition.

Your options

You may want to investigate your pediatrician. Lawsuits are a matter of public record. You should also never hesitate to ask about the drawbacks of any procedure or test. Staying informed may help prevent malpractice.