Step 1
Stabilize and test
Help with breathing, check blood gases, quick brain/nerve check.
Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is a serious birth injury that occurs when a baby’s brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen (hypoxia) and blood flow (ischemia) before, during, or just after delivery. This condition can cause permanent brain damage, and in many cases, it leads to long-term conditions like Cerebral Palsy, developmental delays, or seizures.
Unfortunately, HIE is often the result of medical negligence during labor and delivery and parents are rarely told that it was preventable.
The brain requires a constant flow of oxygen-rich blood to function and develop properly. If that supply is interrupted even for just a few minutes brain cells begin to die, leading to permanent injury. In newborns, HIE often develops when there is fetal distress that isn’t recognized or acted upon in time.
Signs of HIE may include:
HIE happens when a baby’s brain doesn’t get enough oxygen or blood around birth. This is a calm, plain-language snapshot for parents.
Help with breathing, check blood gases, quick brain/nerve check.
If baby meets criteria, the team prepares cooling right away.
Whole-body cooling to 91–93 °F for 72 hours, with close monitoring.
EEG, labs, imaging, seizure care, and regular updates for parents.
| Topic | Typical number / window | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling therapy start | Within 6 hours after birth | If eligible, teams aim to begin early. |
| Cooling temperature | 91–93 °F | Lower body temp helps protect the brain. |
| Cooling duration | 72 hours | Then warm up slowly with monitoring. |
| How common is HIE (high-income countries) | About 1–3 per 1,000 births | Uncommon but serious and time-sensitive. |
| Cord prolapse (births) | About 0.1–0.6% | Rare cord problem that can cut oxygen. |
| Placental abruption (pregnancies) | About 0.6–1.2% | Placenta separates too early; oxygen can drop. |
Many of the known causes of HIE are preventable with proper monitoring and timely intervention. Here are some of the most common:
In many hospitals, families are simply told that “sometimes these things happen.” But in reality, many cases of HIE are the result of errors, delays, or poor monitoring and could have been prevented with better care.
If your baby was diagnosed with HIE, required cooling therapy, or now has Cerebral Palsy, it’s time to ask:
Was this a medical mistake?
You may be eligible for significant compensation if your child experienced any of the above. Schedule your FREE case review call today. Our team will review your medical records for FREE. If negligence is found, our team will file and work to recover compensation for you and your child. There is never a fee or cost to you. Our team only gets paid if we recover money for you.
As a leading HIE lawyer in Pennsylvania, the team at cpfamilyhelp.com focuses exclusively on these complex birth injury cases. We help families investigate potential HIE medical malpractice and understand the process of filing an HIE brain injury lawsuit to secure the resources for a child’s future care. Our experienced Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy lawyers serve families across the state, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. For a free, confidential consultation to discuss your case, please contact our firm.
Time limits may apply—talk to our team today, for FREE!
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