Kernicterus VD

Background Info:

Kernicterus is a type of brain damage most often seen in babies. It’s caused by an extreme buildup of bilirubin in the brain. Bilirubin is a waste product that’s produced when your liver breaks down old red blood cells so your body can remove them.

It’s normal for newborns to have high bilirubin levels. This is known as newborn jaundice. About 60 percentTrusted Source of babies have jaundice, because their bodies can’t remove bilirubin as well as they should yet. Kernicterus is much rarer. It involves dangerously high bilirubin levels.

Kernicterus is a medical emergency. Babies with this condition need to be treated right away to bring down their bilirubin levels and prevent further brain damage.

Signs of jaundice can appear within the first few days of a newborn’s life. Jaundice causes the baby’s skin and whites of the eyes to turn a yellowish color. Kernicterus symptoms are more severe.

Babies with kernicterus are also lethargic. This means they are unusually sleepy. All babies sleep a lot, but lethargic babies sleep even more than is typical and are very hard to wake up. When they do wake up, they often fall right back to sleep.

Qualifying Criteria:

1. No attorney for a potential Kernicterus claim.
2. Births must be in the past 7 to 8 years to qualify
3. Must be DX with Kernicterus 
4. Must still suffer from the effects of Kernicterus