Pre-Term Malpractice

The medical care of neonates and preterm infants is a complicated and highly specialized practice. Caring for humans that are 1-3 lbs is not simply like caring for an adult, but smaller. Knowing the standards of care for preterm neonates is not something an average nurse will know. Working with these tiny and vulnerable patients requires a precise attention to detail, as even the slightest inaccuracy can have grave consequences. Unfortunately, mistakes are still made and some babies suffer severe harm due to medical malpractice or negligence. Common examples of medical malpractice cases in the neonatal and premature infant population include: improper management of Vitamin K deficiency, delayed diagnosis and treatment of infection, failure to detect congenital anomalies, necrotizing enterocolitis, improper dose calculations for extraordinarily small infants, brain damage from delayed treatment of jaundice, and improper post-delivery neonatal care. It is essential to have a knowledgeable specialty Nurse Practitioner with extensive experience in neonatal care and care of the premature infant to review the records on such cases in order to accurately identify where the ball was dropped and what specific standard of cares were missed or breached. With this expertise, it is possible to make a determination as to whether medical malpractice has taken place and how it caused or contributed to lifelong damages.