Michigan Neonatal Seizure Lawyers

Neonatal seizures are abnormal electrical disturbances in a newborn’s brain that occur within the first 28 days of life. They occur in 1 to 5 out of 1000 live births; preterm and low-birth-weight infants are at even higher risk.

Unlike seizures in older children, neonatal seizures can be subtle and hard to detect. They may present as brief, repetitive movements or changes in behavior that can easily be missed.

Signs of neonatal seizures are:

• Repetitive jerking of the arms or legs
• Lip smacking or chewing motions
• Eye deviation or staring spells
• Apnea (pauses in breathing)
• Sudden stiffness or limpness
• Abnormal bicycling movements of the legs

Because newborn brains are still developing, seizures can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from normal movements. For that reason, healthcare providers must act quickly when abnormal activity is suspected. Diagnosis could involve electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, brain imaging, blood tests, and evaluation for underlying causes.

Neonatal seizures don’t always look like the dramatic convulsions many people imagine and could require specialized electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to confirm.

There are four types of neonatal seizures:

Subtle Seizures

These are the most common type in newborns. Symptoms include eye movements, lip smacking, chewing motions, bicycling leg movements, or brief pauses in breathing. Because they can resemble normal newborn behavior, they’re sometimes missed without EEG monitoring.

Clonic Seizures

Clonic seizures are more recognizable than subtle seizures, with rhythmic jerking of a limb, one side of the body, or, less commonly, the entire body.

Tonic Seizures

Tonic seizures cause sustained stiffening of the arms, legs, or trunk and may be associated with more severe underlying brain injury.

Myoclonic Seizures

These involve sudden, brief muscle jerks and are often caused by significant neurological impairment.

Because newborn seizures may be difficult to detect clinically, continuous EEG monitoring is required in high-risk infants. Not properly evaluating abnormal movements or delaying EEG monitoring may result in missed diagnosis and permanent injuries.

Neonatal seizures are most often caused by an underlying brain injury or medical condition. In many birth injury cases, seizures are one of the earliest signs that something went wrong during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or after birth.

Common causes of neonatal seizures include:

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) from oxygen deprivation
• Intracranial hemorrhage (brain bleeding) or stroke
• Infections, such as meningitis or sepsis
• Metabolic disorders, including low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
• Traumatic delivery complications
• Toxicity and drug withdrawal

Continuous fetal monitoring is intended to identify signs of distress. If providers fail to respond to abnormal fetal monitoring strips, delay surgical intervention, or inadequately manage complications, a baby can suffer a brain injury that leads to seizures.

When neonatal seizures stem from preventable medical errors, families could have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim under Michigan law.

The long-term effects of neonatal seizures depend largely on the underlying cause and how quickly it was treated. A child could face lifelong challenges, including:

• Cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy or chronic seizure disorders
• Developmental delays
• Cognitive impairment
• Speech and language delays
• Motor function limitations
• Behavioral or learning difficulties

The newborn period is a critical time for brain development. Seizures can interfere with that development and increase the risk of long-term neurological disability. And for families, ongoing therapy appointments, specialist visits, medications, and developmental services become part of daily life.

When seizures are caused by preventable childbirth complications, fair compensation is essential for an injured child’s future wellbeing.

When neonatal seizures are caused by negligent medical care, the case falls under Michigan’s medical malpractice laws. To file a lawsuit, strict procedural requirements must be followed, or your claim could be jeopardized.

Before filing, Michigan law requires a plaintiff to serve the healthcare provider with a written Notice of Intent at least 182 days before filing suit. The Notice of Intent should include:

• The factual basis of the claim
• The applicable standard of care
• How the standard was breached
• What should have been done differently
• How the breach caused the injury

Michigan has statute of limitations deadlines for medical malpractice cases. While the standard limitations period is two years from the date of the injury, different rules apply in cases involving minors.

Medical malpractice cases can be incredibly complex. Fieger Law has served the Detroit community for over 70 years, and we understand Michigan malpractice laws. You need an experienced legal team to guide you and offer clarity throughout the legal process.

Contact us now for a free case review.

Showing that a baby had seizures isn’t enough to prove medical negligence. To establish negligence, a plaintiff must prove:

• A provider-patient relationship existed
• The applicable standard of care
• A breach of that standard
• The breach directly caused the injury
• The child suffered measurable harm as a result

In neonatal seizure cases, expert medical testimony is almost always required to explain how earlier intervention could have prevented the injury.

Because hospitals and providers often argue that the seizures were unavoidable or caused by preexisting conditions, careful medical and legal analysis is essential.

Brain injuries associated with seizures could require decades of medical care, therapy, and specialized support. The financial consequences for families can be extensive, and they could have the right to collect damages for:

• NICU costs
• Ongoing neurological treatment
• Anti-seizure medications
• Diagnostic testing and monitoring
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Special education services
• Assistive technology and mobility devices
• Home modifications
• Future lost earning capacity
• Pain and suffering

In severe cases, life care planners and medical experts are retained to project costs that account for decades of therapy, medical treatment, and support services. Michigan law caps some non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases depending on the severity of the injury.

Families caring for a child with seizure-related complications need access to specialized pediatric and neurological and pediatric care.

Children’s Hospital of Michigan and University of Michigan Health offer pediatric neurology programs, epilepsy monitoring, and long-term developmental support in the Detroit area.

Another option is Early On Michigan, which provides infant developmental and therapy services throughout the state to families who qualify.

Neonatal seizure cases need detailed medical analysis, expert testimony, and a clear understanding of Michigan medical malpractice law and how it applies to birth injuries.

Fieger Law has fought and won fair compensation for our clients for over seven decades. We can thoroughly review medical records, fetal monitoring data, NICU documentation, and neurological evaluations to judge whether negligent care played a role in your child’s seizures.

You deserve answers and accountability. Our goal is to help you find them.

Contact Fieger Law today for a free case review if you suspect medical negligence contributed to your child’s injury.