What legal options do families have after a child develops hydrocephalus?

Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in a premature infant is a particularly significant area of inquiry, because decisions made during pregnancy, delivery, and the early neonatal period can directly affect whether a brain bleed develops and how serious it becomes. 

A legal investigation into hydrocephalus following a birth injury commonly examines whether providers:

• Failed to administer antenatal corticosteroids before an anticipated premature delivery
• Provided inadequate neonatal stabilization after a premature birth

• Failed to appropriately manage blood pressure or cerebral blood flow fluctuations in the NICU
• Failed to recognize an evolving IVH or monitor ventricular enlargement
• Delayed treatment after evidence of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus appeared
• Failed to refer to a pediatric neurosurgeon when intervention was warranted

The legal question is not whether hydrocephalus developed but whether a provider's shift from the accepted standard of care caused or worsened the brain injury that led to it.

What records are reviewed in a hydrocephalus birth injury investigation?

Experts typically examine the following records to reconstruct the child's full medical course and identify where an avoidable error contributed to the injury:

• Prenatal records documenting corticosteroid administration and management of premature labor
• Labor and delivery records, Apgar scores, and cord blood gas results
• Neonatal resuscitation records and NICU blood pressure and blood gas results
• Cranial ultrasounds, MRI findings, and ventricular measurements
• Neurosurgical evaluations including shunt placement and revision records

What compensation may families recover?

When negligence is proven, families may be able to recover compensation for past and future medical costs, neurosurgical care including shunt placement and revisions, physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, special education, assistive equipment, in-home support, and losses connected to permanent disability.

How Sean M. Cleary Can Help in a Hydrocephalus Case

Hydrocephalus cases require tracing the injury back through the prenatal, delivery, and NICU records to identify where the standard of care was not met. Attorney Sean M. Cleary works with neonatal, neurological, and neurosurgical experts who can build that case from the ground up, and he personally reviews every family's situation before moving forward. If your child developed hydrocephalus following a premature birth or birth-related brain injury, contact The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary today for a free case evaluation.