I’m sorry to hear about the issue with your child. Apgar scores are numbers given to a child at birth. They are used to assess the baby’s health condition, in order to see if any additional medical attention is necessary. If the score is low, the child may have suffered from birth injuries.
Apgar scores range from 0 to 10. They are issued by evaluating the child in five categories: heart rate, skin tone, respiratory function, muscle tone, and reflex irritability. Children with low scores often need to be resuscitated and monitored closely. Typically, the score is reassessed every five minutes until the child’s condition has improved.
In some cases, low Apgar scores are a sign that your child did not receive proper treatment during pregnancy and/or delivery. A low Apgar score could occur through no fault of anyone, or it could be the result of medical malpractice. It’s important that you speak with an attorney who has experience in medical malpractice and birth injuries in order to determine if your child’s low Apgar score was the result of medical malpractice.
If you are in Los Angeles, call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney, at 310-385-0567. My team can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.