Constipation in infants is uncommon and should be a concern for new parents. A constipated infant may have less frequent bowel movements, hard bowel movements, or large, difficult, or painful bowel movements. In some cases, these complications are caused by your doctor’s negligent mistakes when delivering your baby or managing your baby’s postnatal care.
Prosper Shaked is a Miami attorney for infant intestinal blockage and severe constipation who can help analyze your case and determine whether the complications were caused by medical malpractice or birth injuries. For a free legal consultation and more information about your options, contact the Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676.
Severe Constipation in Miami Infants
Constipation can have several causes ranging from diet or an intolerance of certain foods to food allergies. Sometimes there is no purely physical cause, and the issues may be attributed to a child holding back because of pain or a power struggle related to toilet training. Other times, it is not constipation at all, but just an infant establishing a regular bowel movement schedule. Irregular bowel movements do not necessarily mean an infant is constipated.
In rare cases, constipation may be caused by a lack of nerves or by structural problems in the lower large intestine. Constipation can also be symptomatic of more serious medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis, necrotizing enterocolitis, or intussusception. There are several tests your doctor should order to ensure that the constipation is not a sign of a more severe medical condition. If your doctor misdiagnoses or fails to recognize other related symptoms, constipation and infant intestinal blockage can lead to severe, life-altering medical complications.
Suing for Complications with Intestinal Blockages or Meconium Ileus in Miami
Meconium is the first stool a newborn passes. It is usually very sticky and thick. If the meconium is thicker than usual, it can create a blockage in the infant’s small intestine. This blockage is known as meconium ileus. A medical professional should use an ultrasound to confirm an intestinal blockage. In certain circumstances, an enema can flush the material causing the blockage. If successful, no other treatment is required. However, if the blockage persists, surgery may be necessary.
If your doctor misdiagnosed or negligently treated the blockage, the infant might suffer damage to the bowel or surrounding tissue. A damaged bowel wall may require the removal of a portion of the intestine. This procedure can be intensive and take weeks for recovery. Failure to treat meconium ileus could be fatal. If your infant suffered an injury or if your infant died due to your doctor’s negligent treatment of meconium ileus, call the Law Offices of Prosper Shaked.
Intussusception and Medical Malpractice in Miami
Intussusception, the most common abdominal emergency affecting infants, is a medical condition where part of the small intestines slides into another part, causing an intestinal blockage. This telescoping of the intestine can significantly harm a child.
Symptoms of intussusception include a swollen belly, severe constipation, stomach pains, excessive vomiting, tiredness, and bloody stool. Intussusception is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Misdiagnosing a case of intussusception can result in a severe lack of blood to the intestine, causing necrosis, intestinal tears, peritonitis, shock, or even death.
If intussusception is suspected, an infant is often sent immediately to an emergency room. Typically, one of two types of enemas is used to treat an intestinal blockage. The first type forces air through a soft tube inserted in the infant’s rectum. The air will outline the bowels on an X-ray to confirm an intussusception is present. The pressure can also unfold the bowels, correcting the blockage. The other type of enema uses a liquid mixture called barium to perform the same process.
In cases where neither enema is helpful or the intestinal wall is already damaged, surgery is required. Depending on the extent of the damage to the intestinal wall, a surgeon will either try to repair the blockage or remove part of the intestine. Surgical site infection is a common complication in abdominal surgical procedures.
If you or a loved one suffered from an infection due to your doctor’s negligent surgical practices, contact Miami medical malpractice attorney Prosper Shaked.
Necrotizing Enterocolitis Complications in Miami
Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most common and serious intestinal disease among premature babies. With this condition, the tissue of the small or large intestine becomes inflamed or injured, leading to death of the intestinal tissue. Tissue death can ultimately result in a perforation of the intestinal wall. The damaged tissue and subsequent hole could then allow waste and bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, potentially causing life-threatening infections.
Severe constipation and a swollen belly are some of the symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis. These symptoms can resemble ordinary constipation or digestive problems, but if necrotizing enterocolitis is misdiagnosed or untreated, it can be fatal.
Malpractice Causing Cystic Fibrosis and Infant Constipation in Miami
Constipation and intestinal blockage are common complications in children who have cystic fibrosis. Symptoms may appear on an ultrasound, or the condition may be suspected when a newborn does not pass a stool.
Cystic fibrosis is a medical condition affecting an infant’s lungs and digestive system. Severe constipation is a symptom of cystic fibrosis, usually resulting in the infant producing a foul-smelling, greasy stool. Other symptoms such as salty-tasting skin, breathing difficulties, and chronic coughing are generally present as well. If your doctor negligently misdiagnoses the symptoms or fails to order the proper tests, the infant’s medical condition could go untreated, resulting in additional complications.
Call Our Miami Infant Intestinal Blockage or Severe Constipation Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Free Consultation
If your child suffered severe medical complications or if your child died because of a misdiagnosed intestinal blockage or untreated constipation, contact our law offices today. Prosper Shaked, a Miami infant intestinal blockage or severe constipation attorney, may be able to take your case and fight to get you the compensation you and your child need for the injuries they suffered. For your free legal consultation, call the Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today at (305) 694-2676.