Subconjunctival Hemorrhaging and Vision Impairments

Some newborns are born with vision impairments, or more commonly with subconjunctival hemorrhage, in which they have experienced burst blood vessels in the sclera, or the whites of their eyes. With subconjunctival hemorrhage, also known as red-eye, ruptured vessels turn into bright red spots on the surface of the eye; this can be frightening for parents, though in most cases these resolve. Vision impairments can also arise in connection with other negligence before or during labor and delivery. If your baby suffered subconjunctival hemorrhaging or vision impairments as a result of a birth injury, you should give the seasoned Syracuse medical malpractice lawyers of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Attorneys. We have sought the best results for injured babies and their families across Upstate New York for decades.

Anyone of any age can suffer from subconjunctival hemorrhage. It occurs when there is a change in pressure that causes blood vessels to burst. Newborns may suffer from this condition when they experience a traumatic delivery, such as one that involves forceful pressure and stressful contractions. For example, a baby might suffer subconjunctival hemorrhage if an OB-gyn improperly uses forceps or a vacuum extractor in a difficult labor and delivery. For another example, when an umbilical cord gets tightened around a newborn’s neck while being born, there is a greater chance of an infant hemorrhaging. Additionally, when a baby’s blood pressure rises suddenly during birth, the blood vessels may be under stress; when babies are heavy, they may be more likely to suffer from this condition.

In most cases, subconjunctival hemorrhaging heals on its own. However, there are circumstances under which Syracuse and Upstate New York babies suffer more serious vision issues. For example, a more serious complication like cranial hematoma or permanent eye damages may arise. It’s important to keep your child’s pediatrician in the loop regarding symptoms of more serious problems, such as pus, blood from the eye, and significant eye pain, and make sure proper interventions occur. Sometimes a baby who has subconjunctival hemorrhage that heals on its own has other birth injuries, too.

Potential visual impairments include cortical visual impairment and optic nerve lesions arising out of premature birth, HIE, and meningitis. Cortical visual impairment may be comorbid with cerebral palsy or another developmental disability. Often children with cortical visual impairment suffer strabismus or eye misalignment.

Not every harm suffered by a newborn is a birth injury. Generally, you can recover damages on behalf of your child and yourself in connection with those vision impairments that constitute medical malpractice. Our birth injury lawyers will need to prove it’s more likely than not: (1) you were owed a professional standard of care by the defendant, (2) departure from the professional standard of care, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages.

In most cases, when vision impairments are the result of professional negligence, the damages that can be recovered are compensatory. Damages can include economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages may include medical bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket costs, medications, medical equipment, and the costs of therapies. For example, if your child suffers vision impairments in connection with cerebral palsy, he or she may need expensive forms of therapy and education to address disability special needs; these expenses may be covered in an economic damages award. Noneconomic damages that may be recovered include mental anguish, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment.

If your baby suffers the birth injury of subconjunctival hemorrhaging, you should call a veteran Syracuse birth injury lawyer with many years of experience and a stellar reputation for seeking and obtaining the best available results. For more than 35 years, DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Attorneys has represented injured babies and their families in Buffalo, Albany, Lowville, Rochester, Auburn, Watertown, Herkimer, Oswego, Wampsville, Canandaigua, Lyons, Ithaca, Cooperstown, Oneida, Utica, Binghamton, Elmira, and all of Upstate New York. For a free consultation, complete our online form or call us at 833-200-2000.