Fact-Checked: Why Trust Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima Cool Capping is a common treatment response to a recently delivered infant suffering from Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy or (HIE). HIE is a type of brain damage that occurs when an infant does not receive enough oxygen to their brain either during delivery or shortly after. The severity of their injuries from HIE depends on how long the infant is deprived of oxygen. Therefore, diagnosing HIE quickly is imperative to receive effective cool capping treatment.
Cool capping consists of wrapping an infant’s head in a chilled cap to cool their body temperature below the body’s level of homeostasis. This decreased body temperature slows their metabolic rate, allowing cells time to recover from the oxygen deprivation. This prevents the spread and severity of damage to the brain and central nervous system. In many cases, failure to administer cool capping after an infant experiences HIE is medical malpractice. HIE can also be caused by various instances of medical negligence. Therefore, if your infant requires cool capping, that may indicate the occurrence of medical malpractice during labor or the infant’s delivery.
Cause and diagnosis of HIE
There are many medical errors during delivery that can cause a lack of oxygen to an infant’s brain. These can include:
- Mismanagement of a neonatal health condition such as respiratory distress, jaundice, or neonatal hypoglycemia
- Umbilical cord issues such as umbilical cord prolapse or an umbilical cord knot
- Mismanagement of a high-risk pregnancy such as one involving preeclampsia or gestational diabetes
- Errors in fetal heart rate monitoring
- Failure to promptly and appropriately respond to signs of fetal distress (indications that a baby is being deprived of oxygen)
Recognizing and diagnosing HIE in a timely manner is of the upmost importance. If an infant is displaying neurological problems, reflex problems, trouble breathing, or organ failure it is imperative that their treating physician conduct various tests, such as blood gas tests or electroencephalogram (EEG) to correctly diagnose HIE.
Signs of HIE can also appear later in infancy and early childhood. If a child is experiencing impaired motor function, delayed developmental milestones, seizure disorder, delayed growth, or hearing and visual impairments it is important that their treating physician conduct tests such as brain imaging or EEG to make a proper diagnosis of HIE.
Treatment and Effectiveness
Cool capping treatment can begin shortly after an oxygen deprivation event has occurred in order to mitigate the spread of brain damage. Ideally, this would be within six hours from their delivery. The effects of cool capping treatment are stronger the sooner it is administered, as this slows the spread of oxygen deprivation within the brain, preventing more severe and long-term injuries.
If an infant is diagnosed with HIE and requires cool capping after delivery, this is because the infant lacks proper oxygen flow to their brain. Many cases of oxygen deprivation immediately following delivery are caused by medical negligence during labor and delivery. If your infant requires cool capping, that may indicate the occurrence of medical malpractice during labor or the infant’s delivery. Additionally, not administering cool capping when an infant is diagnosed with HIE can constitute medical negligence.