Pregnancy-Related Injuries | Cirignani Heller & Harman, LLP

When a baby is injured before, during or immediately following birth, parents are devastated. It is a hard thing to learn that serious or permanent damage has been done. They go from dreaming about all the possibilities for their child to confronting the reality of all the limitations and challenges that now lay ahead. It is important to […]

Joy and celebration should fill the home when a new child joins your family. But there are cases where sadness, fear, and anxiety dominate the day. This is because sometimes our children are the victim of a birth injury. While advances in medical care and better training and attentiveness of doctors and nurses have brought […]

We frequently work with families struggling to understand a cerebral palsy diagnosis, including what caused the condition and how it will impact their child’s future. To provide a resource and starting place for these families, we recently published a white paper titled “Cerebral Palsy: A Message Of Hope For Illinois Families.” The most important piece […]

After learning your child has cerebral palsy (CP), you probably have many questions and may not know where to turn for answers. We have compiled a resource that provides a starting point for families affected by cerebral palsy to begin your research. We answer basic questions about CP: How do symptoms differ and when will […]

A birth injury or defect is the last thing on any parent’s mind on the day their child is born. They have had a plan they followed for 9 months and this is the day it all comes together, but complications can arise. During the pregnancy, labor, and delivery there are situations and events that […]

Even though it may not be noticeable cerebral palsy is present at birth. Parents and caregivers may not notice the signs until the child becomes a toddler.  This usually happens as they notice their child failing to reach the developmental milestones reached by other children. The signs of cerebral palsy usually show up between the […]

The birth of a child is a momentous event in the life of any parent. Sadly, for some parents, what should be a joyous and celebratory occasion is instead marred by preventable birth injuries that forever alter the lives of both parent and child. A mother was recently awarded a $6.5 million dollar settlement after […]

A caesarean section is a surgical procedure, and like any other patient in Chicago who undergoes a surgical procedure, a patient who undergoes a C-section must be closely monitored and carefully treated by medical professionals. Women who deliver babies via C-section may experience complications during and after these surgical procedures when their doctors and nurses […]

Medical malpractice committed by Chicago doctors, hospitals or nurses may result in minor or temporary injuries. Fortunately, victims may be able to recover compensation for their medical expenses, suffering and lost wages, which may allow victims to move on with their lives and forgive medical professionals for their mistakes. But when medical malpractice results in […]

Earlier this month, USA TODAY published a horrifying article about surgical errors involving retained sponges. Although leaving a sponge inside of a patient’s body is considered to be a surgical error that doctors, hospitals and nurses should never make, USA TODAY reported that the mistake is being made about 12 times a day in Illinois […]

Medical malpractice should never be tolerated in Chicago and throughout the U.S., but there are some incidents of malpractice that are especially shocking and extremely difficult for victims, families and the community to understand. For example, a woman recently filed a lawsuit against a Planned Parenthood doctor for forcing her to have an abortion after […]

Last April, a 28-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy girl. The woman experienced no complications during the birth of her baby, but 12 days after having her baby, the woman died. Our Chicago readers may be wondering what could have possibly happened if nothing went wrong when the woman delivered her baby. How did […]

Chicago patients rely on doctors for safe care, including the prescribing of medications that are both effective and safe. However, there are times when doctors prescribe medications with potential risks or without proven effectiveness specifically for the patient’s condition. Medication errors are a serious matter, and even more serious when an unborn baby is involved. […]

After having a Cesarean section performed to safely deliver her baby, an Illinois woman developed a serious infection that prevented her from being able to recover sooner from the surgery. Instead of focusing on recovering from the operation and taking care of her new baby, the woman endured additional pain and was forced to undergo […]

Pregnancy is an exciting time for many Chicago women and their partners. However, women might also become overwhelmed by all of the conflicting dos and don’ts they may hear about from others or read about in magazines and books. For example, some women are told to stay away from having any caffeine while others are […]

Pregnancy is an exciting time, even with morning sickness, trouble sleeping and other first-time experiences. It’s also a time when a woman’s health should be carefully monitored by Chicago physicians to avoid pregnancy-related injuries and birth injuries. For example, not monitoring a woman’s blood pressure during checkups while she is pregnant could be extremely harmful. […]

Newly released information from the journal Hypertension shows that an increasing number of pregnant women are using medication to control their blood pressure. But the use of these drugs could increase the rate of pregnancy-related injuries or birth defects, according to researchers. Some women may certainly benefit from antihypertensive medications, but at the same time, […]

Bringing a child into the world is something women get to experience only a few times in life. Each pregnancy offers a unique experience for women, and each pregnancy should be treated as such by Chicago physicians. To make sure expecting mothers and their unborn babies receive proper medical care and attention throughout pregnancy and […]

Many women in Illinois and throughout the entire U.S. have been fortunate to have the experience of being overcome with joy after first learning that they were pregnant. Unfortunately, many women have also had to experience the tragic loss of a baby after a miscarriage or another reason arising from acomplicated pregnancy. Although miscarriages commonly […]

Although a woman’s rare condition was finally diagnosed correctly by doctors after numerous medical tests were performed, doctors did make one assumption about her condition that was incorrect. Now, the 23-year-old woman is pregnant and she is at risk of suffering permanent injuries when it comes time for the labor, delivery and birth of her […]