While the medical technology and care in the United States are some of the best in the world, there is still the risk that a doctor or health care provider will act negligently. Errors in medical care are scary and potentially life-altering, but when these errors harm a child, the effects can be devastating.
We put our child’s safety and health in the hands of a pediatrician and trust that they will do their best to provide the proper care. When it comes to your child’s healthcare, the pediatrician is on the frontlines of recognizing, diagnosing, and treating illness. However, negligence sometimes occurs, and when a child is seriously injured due to medical malpractice, this can lead to life-long heartache and expenses. Types of pediatric malpractice include:
Misdiagnosis
Recognizing the symptoms of an illness in children can be more difficult than in adult patients. Children, especially infants and toddlers, can’t always communicate what is making them feel bad. Pediatricians should take special care to run the proper diagnostic tests and ensure that they are spending adequate time with the patient. Two conditions that are frequently misdiagnosed include:
- Meningitis—according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) a significant number of malpractice claimsbrought against pediatricians involve a diagnosis of meningitis. Doctors can misread the symptoms of meningitis in an infant, and the consequences can be deadly. Meningitis is a medical emergency and can seriously affect the brain and spinal cord, so doctors must diagnose and treat quickly.
- Appendicitis—this illness is also involved in about a third of medical malpractice Pediatricians who don’t take the right steps can often misdiagnose appendicitis as a urinary tract infection or some other pelvic condition. A failure to act quickly in the face of appendicitis can be deadly.
Medication Errors
Correctly dosing and prescribing medications for infants and small children takes skill and care. Children’s bodies are not fully developed and can’t process medication the way an adult can. Different medications can have different effects on children based on the size and maturity of their bodies. Doctors and hospitals should take extra care when prescribing medication for children.
Surgical Errors
It takes special skills to perform surgery on a child, and a doctor’s negligence can turn a routine procedure like a tonsillectomy into a serious injury. Inadequate postoperative monitoring can also lead to harm. If a harmful error occurs during your child’s surgery, both the doctor and the hospital may be responsible.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
If your child has been injured due to a doctor’s negligence, you should have an experienced medical malpractice attorney evaluate your case.At Bonina & Bonina, P.C., we have over 50 years of experience helping New Yorkers injured by medical malpractice. Contact us onlineor call us at 1-888-MEDLAW1 to schedule your free consultation. Home and hospital visits are available. Se habla español.