Medico-legal implications of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome

Jonathan M Fanaroff; Steven M Donn

doi:10.1016/j.siny.2020.101127

Medico-legal implications of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome

Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020 Aug;25(4):101127. doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2020.101127. Epub 2020 Jun 14.

Authors

Jonathan M Fanaroff¹, Steven M Donn²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA. Electronic address: jmf20@case.edu.
² Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

PMID: 32571668
DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2020.101127

Abstract

Babies who sustain long term neurologic injury and disability are frequent subjects in medical malpractice litigation. In the United States, the tort system enables adjudication of claims through a proscribed system. This paper will review salient elements of the tort system-duty, breach, causation, and damages- and how they apply to encephalopathic infants whose injuries are believed to be the result of fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS) and/or hypoxic-ischemic damage. FIRS may confound the diagnosis of neonatal encephalopathy but may be a credible explanation for it as well. The ways in which FIRS may impact malpractice lawsuits are presented.

Keywords: Fetal inflammatory response syndrome hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; Newborn medical malpractice litigation.

MeSH terms

Female
Fetus
Humans
Infant
Infant, Premature, Diseases / prevention & control*
Liability, Legal*
Malpractice / legislation & jurisprudence*
Medical Errors / legislation & jurisprudence
Pregnancy
Prenatal Care / legislation & jurisprudence*
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / prevention & control*
United States