Kernicterus is a progressive type of brain damage that can lead to:
It develops in infants who suffer from untreated, severe jaundice, a condition that manifests itself by yellowing of the eyes and skin.
Common in newborns, jaundice occurs when the liver manufactures too much of the yellow pigment bilirubin. Bilirubin is a byproduct left by broken-down red blood cells. If too many blood cells die at once, bilirubin builds up in the liver and eventually disperses throughout the body.
Jaundice usually clears up on its own but, if it doesn't, the excess bilirubin can cause severe brain injury.
Symptoms of Kernicterus
When babies begin to have brain damage from excessive jaundice, they have difficulty staying awake and alert, they have a high-pitched cry and seem to lack muscle tone or act "floppy” (hypotonic), followed by increased muscle tone (hypertonic), with arching of the head and back. As the damage continues, they may develop fever, may arch their heads back into a very contorted position known as opisthotonus or retrocollis.
If these symptoms appear, it is an emergency situation. Contact your doctor immediately.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff understand that birth injury and birth trauma cases can be complex and demanding. Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in damages for injured children and their families who have been the victims of negligent doctors and medical staffs.
Our years of experience and our well-trained paralegals and administrative staff give us the advantage, even under the most difficult circumstances. We care about our clients and treat the injured children and their families with genuine concern, because we understand the devastating effects birth injuries can have on them.
If you believe your child suffered brain damage from kernicterus because of medical negligence, please fill out and submit the contact form on this page for a free case evaluation or call us toll-free at (888) 285-3333.