Yes, you may be able to sue a doctor for your newborn’s hypoglycemia if they were negligent in failing to prevent or treat it. Medical personnel can be responsible for neonatal hypoglycemia if they ignore signs of low blood sugar in the infant or mother.
Untreated neonatal hypoglycemia can cause brain damage that may have lifetime effects. If medical malpractice has resulted in delays in diagnosis or improper management of newborn hypoglycemia that harmed your baby, our dedicated birth injury attorneys can pursue compensation for your baby’s suffering and hold those responsible accountable.
What Is Neonatal Hypoglycemia?
Neonatal hypoglycemia is a condition in which a newborn infant has low blood sugar. Blood sugar, or glucose, is a key energy source critical to a newborn’s brain development.
Because infants get almost all of their glucose from their mothers, neonatal hypoglycemia is often related to issues with the health of the mother. However, it can also stem from premature birth or other developmental factors.
Neonatal hypoglycemia is preventable, and most infants who develop it can be treated successfully. But, if undiagnosed, it can impair brain development and cause lasting neurological issues. If your child was injured by untreated neonatal hypoglycemia because of a negligent health care provider, our birth injury attorneys can help you weigh your legal options.
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia in Pregnant Mothers
Mothers with diabetes are at higher risk of having an infant develop neonatal hypoglycemia, as low blood sugar in the mother can often lead to low blood sugar in a newborn. Mothers can also develop gestational diabetes or insulin resistance that develops as a result of pregnancy.
Signs that a pregnant mother might have hypoglycemia include the following:
- Sudden irritability
- Lethargy
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Hunger
- Shaking and sweating
Symptoms of Hypoglycemia in Newborns
Hypoglycemia is harder to detect in newborns, as infants naturally experience low blood sugar levels directly after birth and exhibit much subtler symptoms. A doctor can miss the signs of neonatal hypoglycemia, resulting in a newborn missing out on the care it needs to properly develop.
Understanding whether a newborn will be at risk for low blood sugar can help medical providers properly prevent, detect, and treat it. Signs of neonatal hypoglycemia include the following:
- Pale skin
- Lethargy
- Breathing issues
- Seizures, shaking, or tremors
- Vomiting
- Low appetite or loss of interest in feeding
- Underdeveloped muscles
- Hypothermia
Related FAQs About Low Blood Sugar in Newborns
What Causes Low Blood Sugar in Newborns?
Prematurity, diabetes in the mother, lack of oxygen at birth, and genetic metabolism issues are common causes of neonatal hypoglycemia.
How Long Does a Baby Stay in the NICU for Low Blood Sugar?
Newborns with hypoglycemia will receive treatment for as long as it takes for them to maintain normal blood sugar levels on their own, which may take days.
What Is A Normal Blood Sugar Level for A Newborn?
Newborns are generally considered hypoglycemic if their blood sugar is lower than 47 milligrams per deciliter within the first day after birth.
How Do You Treat Low Blood Sugar in a Newborn?
Staff will immediately give the newborn additional sources of glucose, such as extra breast milk, formula, or a sugar gel. For some newborns, an IV is used to deliver glucose directly into the bloodstream.
Contact Levin & Perconti If You Suspect Negligence Caused Neonatal Hypoglycemia
If your child has been harmed by neonatal hypoglycemia that your medical provider should have prevented or treated promptly, our skilled birth injury attorneys can help you pursue a medical malpractice claim. We’ve recovered over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements since 1992, including multiple record-setting wins.
Our significant birth injury case results include the following:
- $40 million and $29 million awards for clients who developed severe brain injuries at birth because of delayed C-sections
- A $20 million verdict for a child who developed permanent disabilities from preventable asphyxiation-related birth injuries
- $14 million for a child injured from lack of oxygen because of a delayed C-section
Don’t wait—Get more than 400 years of combined legal experience on your side. Contact us online or call (312) 332-2872 today to schedule a free consultation.
