Monthly Archives: December 2013
Couple Awarded $50 Million After Botched Genetic Test Gives Way to Son With Severe Disabilities
According to DisabilityScoop.com, a couple in Washington was awarded $50 million after their son was born with severe birth disabilities. According to the website, Brock and Rhea Wuth were told they had a 50-50 chance of having a child with a defect or a related issue, so prior to conception, they sought genetic counseling and testing, following doctor recommendations. When Rhea became pregnant shortly thereafter, genetic testing said their child was “normal”. However, when their son Oliver was born in 2008, they knew something was wrong with him. Oliver was born with profound mental and physical disabilities. Oliver, now 5, has an IQ of 50 to 70, cannot run, walk up stairs or talk beyond a few dozen words, according to DisabilityScoop.com. The website noted that he would need care for the rest of his life. The Wuth’s sued Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington and Laboratory Corporation of America…
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Why the United States has a High Infant Death Rate
Birth Trauma Attorneys Explore the Causes According to one report, the United States now has the highest first-day infant death rate of all industrialized countries. Over 11,000 newborns in the U.S. die before they are even 24 hours old, which is 50 percent more than all other industrialized countries combined. This data may be shocking to many mothers to-be and is far below what most people expect from the health care in the U.S. This raises questions about what medical practices cause so many U.S. newborns to suffer wrongful death. The Causes of High Infant Mortality in the United States The first 24 hours of a child’s life are the riskiest, and many factors can cause the child to suffer from complications, including some that occur far before the child is born: Poor prenatal care is often linked to infant mortality. Many pregnant women receive inadequate health care during pregnancy….
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Preterm Boys at Higher Risk for Death and Disabilities
According to ScienceDaily, a global study on preterm birth and disability carried out by almost 50 researchers and 35 institutions found that baby boys are at a higher risk of death and disability due to preterm birth than girls are. The news service reported that a report in Pediatric Research indicated that boys are 14 percent more likely to be born preterm than girls are. “Baby boys have a higher likelihood of infections, jaundice, birth complications, and congenital conditions, but the biggest risk for baby boys is due to preterm birth. For two babies born at the same degree of prematurity, a boy will have a higher risk of death and disability compared to a girl. Even in the womb, girls mature more rapidly than boys, which provides an advantage, because the lungs and other organs are more developed,” Professor Joy Lawn, M.D., PhD, a neonatologist and epidemiologist at the…
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Posted in Birth Defects, Birth Trauma, Cerebral Palsy, Erbs Palsy, Premature Birth, Shoulder Dystocia Comments Off on Preterm Boys at Higher Risk for Death and Disabilities
