Nuchal Cord Birth Injury Lawyer

Was your baby born with complications or serious injuries such as hypoxia or birth asphyxia due to a nuchal cord?

Call the Dallas birth injury attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm today for a free consultation at (214) 617-1886. We can investigate your claims and advise you on your legal options moving forward for no cost to you. If you hire us to handle your claim, you owe us nothing unless we actually win your case.

The umbilical cord carries oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the child's bloodstream. It contains one vein and two arteries, and almost never causes serious birth complications. Unfortunately in some cases, the umbilical cord can become tangled around the child's neck and pose a serious risk of brain damage or fetal death. This is referred to as a "nuchal cord."

A nuchal cord can and should be detected via ultrasound during the mother's prenatal checkups. While most instances of a nuchal cord do not result in the need for emergency surgery or cesarean section, once medical professionals are aware of the issue, your child's fetal distress signals should be closely monitored—especially during labor.

Birth injuries caused by a nuchal umbilical cord.

The baby’s body and brain depend on the umbilical cord to receive everything it requires during gestation. Oxygen helps the brain develop, grow and thrive, and any disruption of blood or oxygen supply to the brain may lead to massive brain cell death, ending in neonatal encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, or severe brain damage at birth. A nuchal cord can also result in umbilical cord compression (flattening due to pressure) or knotting, potentially cutting off the baby's supply of oxygen as well.

Nuchal cords are notorious for causing birth asphyxia. This is the cutting off of the supply of oxygen to the brain, and most-often occurs during labor. It is the responsibility of nurses and doctors to monitor fetal heart rate during labor since this is the one thing that will let them know if there is oxygen supply interruption. Should there be signs of fetal distress, these medical professionals must act fast in order to mitigate any potentially-preventable harm to the child.

It is estimated that 20 percent of all births are complicated by nuchal cord problems. In addition, your child is more likely to be born with a nuchal cord if they are too big for their gestational age, if there are twins or triplets in the womb, if there is a family history of nuchal cords, if the umbilical cord is extraordinarily long, or if the baby is born via breech, shoulder or face presentation.

Warning signs of fetal brain injury caused by birth asphyxia:

• Weak or non-existent cry at the time of delivery
• Seizures
• Refusal of the baby to feed
• Respiratory problems
• Organ failure

• Fever
• A blue tint to the skin
• Abnormal muscle tone, either too floppy or too tense
• A low Apgar score
• Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia (high or low blood sugar)

Recovering compensation through a birth injury lawsuit.

While we understand that the birth of any child is a joyous and celebratory time, you must understand that a child born with severe brain damage can put an incredible financial strain on the family. If a doctor’s negligence or inexperience led to your child suffering from what should have been a preventable brain injury, the additional financial burdens of raising a disabled child should not fall to the family.

Please call our Dallas birth injury lawyers today at (214) 617-1886, or email us using the contact form found on this page for a confidential consultation. We're happy to look into the facts of your case free of charge and advise you of your family's legal options moving forward.