When a baby is still in the womb, the mother’s placenta provides it with oxygen through the umbilical cord. Oxygenated blood is sent from the placenta to other body organs through a blood vessel in the umbilical cord. After an infant is born, the umbilical blood vessel should close and the baby should instead begin to receive oxygen from the lungs. In a baby with PPHN, however, the blood vessel remains open and blood is unable to travel through the lungs in a normal fashion.

Causes of PPHN

The causes of PPHN in a newborn are often unknown, but some possible causes have been identified by physicians and researchers. The risk of PPHN may increase if the baby experiences stress in the uterus as a result of complications in the mother’s pregnancy. These problems may include maternal diabetes, anemia, high blood pressure or delivery after the normal 40-weeks gestation period.

Some congenital problems and diseases that affect a baby’s lungs also may be associated with PPHN. Birth asphyxia, when an infant doesn’t receive enough oxygen during a complex delivery, has been linked with PPHN. Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is also considered a potential cause of PPHN. In MAS, a newborn breathes a mixture of amniotic fluid and meconium (early feces) into the lungs during delivery. Pneumonia, anemia, respiratory distress syndrome, lung hypoplasia and hypoglycemia also are believed to be possible causes of the development of PPHN.

Certain antidepressants also are considered to have an impact on the development of the lung disorder. Normally, PPHN occurs in one to two births in every 1000. However, pregnant women who took SSRI antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) after the 20th week of their pregnancy saw an increase in the prevalence of the disease. About six to 12 of every 1000 babies born to those mothers developed PPHN. The SSRIs studied included a wide variety of patented brand name and generic drugs.

Symptoms and prognosis

The symptoms of PPHN typically appear within 12 hours after a baby is born. An infant with PPHN may show signs of rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat and respiratory distress. The baby may have a bluish tint to the skin, called cyanosis. A doctor’s examination of the infant may reveal a heart murmur, low blood pressure, an enlarged liver or low oxygen levels in the blood.

It is important for PPHN to be diagnosed and treated promptly to minimize long-term damage. Some of the causes of PPHN are treatable, but others may cause lasting health problems for the child. Heart or kidney failure, brain hemorrhage and even death are possible.

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, and has not reviewed or edited this article and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.

Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim

Malpractice suits are not just about people anticipating to make a fast buck. Almost all personal injury medical claims are quite severe.  Every time personal injury lawyers get involved in a potential case, there must have been a life-threatening violation in how a medical doctor, nurse, or hospital has treated the patient. In a few lawsuits it has been as drastic as someone losing their life.  When you are treated by a surgeon or a doctor and have been harmed by them as a consequence of them diverting away from the set medical practices, you quite possibly could have a legitimate injury claim.  If you have a loved one or family member that has passed away because of the fault of second-rate care by a doctor or at a hospital, you most definitely have a lawsuit.

Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer to Handle Medical Malpractice

It is not, however, as simple as asking the doctor or staff to hand over their money.  You must first retain services of an experienced licensed lawyer.  Personal injury lawyers are extremely well versed in the particular personal injury laws of the state that they are licensed in, and know precisely to what degree a medical professional can ultimately be held liable for in such a case.  Even if you think that you know how the laws for personal injury work, you still need a lawyer.  You need a lawyer for the basic reason that the physician or the hospital’s insurance will have several qualified lawyers who will be resolved to prove to the courts that their client was following standardized medical procedures.  In cases of gross negligence, many physicians and hospitals will more than likely want to settle out of court in order to avoid the influx of bad publicity.  Your qualified personal injury attorney will advise you on the approximate amount of money that you should receive for a settlement and finalize the paperwork.  Insurance for medical malpractice is designed to protect nursing staff, hospitals, and doctors from medical injury claims.  If by chance, the doctor let their insurance expire, the lawyer for the injured party can and will go after the physician’s assets.  Having monetary reimbursement may not help you feel better if you have been seriously injured, but is most certainly will make the medical community stand up and take notice to the guilty party.  A medical malpractice lawsuit could end up costing the doctor his or her medical license if it was shown that he or she ignorantly or intentionally injured you.