What are Symptoms of HIE

• Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
• What Are Symptoms of HIE

Symptoms of HIE

The symptoms of HIE or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy will vary depending on the severity of the baby’s brain injury. In general, HIE symptoms can be broadly classified into three groups:

• (a) HIE symptoms before and during birth
• (b) HIE symptoms shortly after birth, which is the neonatal phase
• (c) HIE symptoms appearing later as the baby grows.

HIE Signs and Symptoms
Before or During Birth

When the in-utero baby experiences an HIE injury during pregnancy, labor or delivery, the signs of fetal distress may indicate that the baby’s brain is deprived of oxygen. Abnormal fetal heart rate is a strong indicator of fetal distress. The medical team can use medical equipment testing such as continuous electronic fetal heart rate monitoring as well as a non-stress test (NST) when fetal distress is suspected. These tests provide well-known signs that the baby is suffering from a lack of oxygen to the brain (birth asphyxia).

The non-reassuring fetal heart rate patterns on the electronic monitor that are signs of fetal distress and birth asphyxia include: bradycardia (abnormally slow heart rate), tachycardia (abnormally fast heart rate), late decelerations (slow return of the normal heartbeat after a contraction), or variable decelerations (sudden drops in heart rate).

The non-stress test allows the doctors and nurses to measure how the baby’s heart rate changes in response to fetal movement. If during the test, the baby’s heart rate does not increase or decrease as normally expected, it is clinically termed as a “non-reactive” outcome, signifying fetal distress.

Other signs and symptoms before birth, which should alert the medical providers to the possibility of HIE injury include:

• Abnormal pattern of labor contractions
• Decreased fetal movement
• Vaginal bleeding
• Severe maternal cramps along with back pain
• Maternal high blood pressure (preeclampsia)
• Abnormal maternal weight loss or gain

HIE Signs and Symptoms Shortly After Birth

Low APGAR scores at 5 or 10 minutes after birth and/or fetal acidosis – indicated by low pH in umbilical cord blood gas tests are two important indicators that the baby may have suffered an HIE injury before or during the birthing process. Some of these visible signs and symptoms of HIE during the neonatal period (shortly after birth) may include:

About Umbilical Cord Blood Gas

Mild HIE

• Overactive or hyper-alert baby
• Floppy muscles (slightly reduced muscle tone)
• Overly Fussy or irritable baby
• Brisk reflexes to stimulus
• Feeding problems
• Sleeping difficulties
• Crying more frequently than a normal newborn

Moderate HIE

• Significant muscle weakness (hypotonia)
• Continuous lethargy or sluggishness
• Difficulties in clapping or grasping with hands
• Lower reflexes in response to stimulus
• Difficulties in breathing
• Excessive irritability
• Feeble cries
• Disinterest in sucking
• Apnea (momentary stops in breathing—looks like a baby is holding their breath)

Severe HIE

• The baby is in a coma-like stupor
• Unresponsive to physical stimulus
• Serious breathing problems, which may require ventilator or neonatal resuscitation
• Poor or weak muscle tone throughout the body (generalized hypotonia)
• Absence of neonatal reflexes (no grasping, swallowing or sucking)
• Fixed, unresponsive or dilated pupils
• Fluctuating blood pressure
• Irregular heart rate
• Treatment-resistant seizures (progressively increasing)

HIE Signs and Symptoms Appearing Later as the Baby Grows

• Cerebral palsy
• Delayed developmental milestones
• Delayed growth
• Epilepsy or seizure disorder
• Motor function impairments
• Cognitive impairments
• Intellectual disabilities
• Vision or hearing impairments
• Poor coordination
• Organ complications (heart, lungs, liver or kidneys)
• Respiratory illnesses
• Behavioral problems or moodiness
• Mental health issues

Is Medical Malpractice the Cause of Your Child’s HIE Injury?

Parents whose children are suffering from an hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) want and deserve answers as to whether errors by the doctors and nurses during or just after the delivery contributed to their child’s birth injury.

At Miller Weisbrod Olesky, our award-winning cerebral palsy attorneys have represented families all over the United States in their time of need after a birth injury like HIE. We use our skills and expertise to obtain for you and your child a medical malpractice settlement that will help provide specialized medical therapy in order to maximize the quality of life and independence of your child throughout their life.

• Were there signs of birth injury or birth complications during the pregnancy, labor, and delivery process, or presence of risk factors, which were either not recognized or properly treated?
• During the labor and delivery, were there clear indications that the baby was suffering from fetal distress, but appropriate actions were not taken by the maternal fetal specialists, obstetrician or nurses?
• Was there a delay in diagnosis of a likely premature birth that led to later complications, including brain injury?
• Did the medical team fail to order a series of tests to diagnose this birth complication in a timely manner?
• Was the decision to perform a cesarean delivery delayed leading to birth trauma during vaginal delivery or labor?
• Did the neonatal resuscitation team fail to quickly begin important breathing support?
• Should brain cooling (also called “hypothermia therapy”) have been provided to your baby, but the doctors and nurses failed to perform the appropriate tests or ignored the results of the tests?

Our birth injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in settlements for families of children that have suffered a birth injury. At no point in our legal intake process will we ask you to pay anything. The medical review of your case and the consultation are free. We only receive payment when you do, no matter how long or tough your case is.

Registered Nurses and Nurse-Attorneys Are a Vital Part of Our Birth Injury Team…and Yours

Most birth injury law firms will employ one or two nurses to assist the review of cases and medical research. But Miller Weisbrod Olesky offers an unmatched number of nurses and nurse-attorney employees support to both the birth injury attorneys and our clients.

Our team of registered nursing staff and nurse-attorneys bring a deep level of medical and personal insight to every client’s case. Our nursing team includes both an experienced labor and delivery nurse as well as an ICU nurse. Working closely with the rest of the team, they investigate the reasons behind a birth injury and how medical professionals breached their standard of care.

Contact Our Birth Injury Lawyers