Why Was My Baby Born With A Low APGAR Score?
A low APGAR score at birth is normal for many healthy newborns. However, it may be a sign of a birth injury if it is persistently low, especially where the score remains at or around 3 for more than five minutes. Where an APGAR score is persistently low, a baby may need immediate resuscitation, including blow-by oxygen and positive pressure ventilation (commonly provided by a NICU team). Without resuscitation, a birth depressed baby may suffer brain damage known as
hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Low APGAR scores can be due to e.g., maternal anesthesia, prematurity, and
fetal distress due to hypoxia.
Where a medical provider fails to recognize fetal distress before delivery, which is often marked by
fetal heart rate decelerations, and allows a baby to experience prolonged hypoxia, a birth injury lawsuit may be necessary to secure
compensation for disabilities such as cerebral palsy that stem from preventable neonatal asphyxia.
To discuss the connection between a low APGAR score and a birth injury, contact us at (833) 268-8277 or by e-mail at info@bottarleone.com.