Originally created by Dr. Lawrence Weed in the 1960s as a part of his recommendation for a problem-oriented medical record, a problem list, distilled to its basic form, is a document that states the most important health problems facing a patient, such as illnesses or diseases, injuries suffered, and anything…
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of women dying because of pregnancy and childbirth is going up. More than 25 years ago (1987), there were 7.2 deaths of mothers per 100,000 live births; in 2011, that number more than doubled to 17.8 deaths per 100,000…
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, so a recent report published in JAMA Pediatrics, revealing that pregnant woman with elevated blood sugar levels are more likely to have babies with congenital cardiovascular defects, even if their blood sugar is below the cut off for diabetes, could not come at a…
According to a recent lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Tennessee, defendant health care providers failed to properly handle the delivery of the minor plaintiff, resulting in extended fetal oxygen deprivation and brain injury at birth. Specifically, the complaint alleges that during the mother’s labor and delivery, medical…
According to a study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics titled “Prescription Opioid Epidemic and Infant Outcomes,” the use of prescription narcotic painkillers during pregnancy increases the risk that a baby will be born small or early, as well as the risk of drug withdrawal known as neonatal…
World Cerebral Palsy Day is a global innovation project created to improve quality of life for people living with cerebral families, and their families. The project is led by a group of non-profit cerebral palsy charities, and supported by organizations in over 45 countries. Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder…
As soon as a baby is born, s/he is forced to make major changes within seconds. The APGAR scoring system was developed so that doctors, such as obstetricians, and hospital nurses can rapidly asses how a newborn is adjusting to life outside of the womb, including evaluation of heart rate,…
Immediately after birth, a baby’s complexion, pulse rate, reaction when stimulated, muscle tone and breathing are assessed. According to Syracuse birth injury lawyer Michael A. Bottar, these assessment criteria form the APGAR score (which ranges from 0 to 10). Generally, APGAR scores are taken a 1, 5 and 10 minutes…
According to Watertown birth injury lawyer Michael A. Bottar, with the Syracuse medical malpractice law firm of Bottar Law, PLLC, the Cerebral Palsy Family Health Care Center, operated by the Cerebral Palsy Association of the North Country, has changed its name to the Community Health Center of the North Country.…
As Syracuse birth injury lawyers handling many cases where a baby was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck, we are often asked by clients and potential clients whether the umbilical cord harmed their baby. This common occurrence is known as a “nuchal cord” and our answer, usually,…