The Difference Between Anoxia and Hypoxia in Child Brain Injuries

Anoxia
Anoxia occurs when no oxygen flow is going to the body, such as the organs or blood. Cerebral anoxia is the technical term for oxygen deprivation to the brain. Prolonged deprivation can and will result in severe, long-lasting brain damage and, sadly, often times death. Oxygen deprivation is usually classified as anoxia after an infant has not taken a breath for five minutes.
Hypoxia
Hypoxia is similar to anoxia in that it results in brain damage due to oxygen level issues. However, hypoxia is the step before anoxia in which oxygen levels are low but not entirely depleted. One common example of this occurs with hikers at high altitudes such as Everest. Because oxygen levels are lower the higher up you go, your body needs an oxygen tank to sustain adequate oxygen levels. Without an oxygen tank, you will enter into hypoxia, making you weak and drowsy.
Causes of Anoxia and Hypoxia
So how do anoxia and hypoxia occur? On occasion, they occur because the child is not breathing after being delivered. The lungs may be underdeveloped, bringing insufficient amounts of oxygen to the brain and resulting in hypoxia, or the lungs may not be working (temporarily or permanently) at all, bringing no oxygen to the brain and causing anoxia.
If the child is still in the uterus, anoxia and hypoxia may occur due to a defect in the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord provides oxygen to the child during pregnancy. If the umbilical cord is somehow severed or pinched, the oxygen supply may be cut off to the baby.
During delivery, the umbilical cord may become wrapped around the child’s throat, restricting airflow. In addition, if the umbilical cord exits the mother’s body before the baby, it may become kinked, cutting off the supply of oxygen.
Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. Can Help Your Family Recover Following a Birth Injury
The skilled Seattle birth injury lawyers at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. understand that birth injuries, especially brain damage, are incredibly traumatic for Seattle area families. To discuss your options, schedule a free consultation by calling us at (888) 288-3860.
Recent Blog Posts
- What to Do if You Are Injured in a Rear-End Accident
- How Much Liability Can a Seattle Landlord Have in an Injury Claim?
- Will Comparative Negligence Affect a Senior’s Slip-and-Fall Claim?
- New Carsharing Service Launches in Seattle: What Drivers Should Know
- Washington State Dog-Bite Liability and Public Parks
Categories
- Auto Insurance Claims
- Bicycle Accident
- Birth Injury
- Brain Injury
- Burn Injury
- Bus Accidents
- Car Accidents
- Commercial Vehicle Accidents
- Dangerous Road Accident
- Distracted Driving Accident
- Dog Bite
- Drunk Driving Accident
- Freeway Accidents
- Head-On Car Crash
- Hit-and-Run Accident
- Interesting
- Intersection Accidents
- Law Firm News
- Medical Malpractice
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Pedestrian Accident
- Personal Injury
- Pickup Truck Accident
- Premises Liability
- Rear-End Accidents
- Rideshare Accidents
- Rollover Accidents
- Safe Driving
- Segway Accident
- Slip-and-Fall Accidents
- Speeding Accident
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Swimming Pool Accident
- Teen and Young Drivers
- Truck Accident
- Wrongful Death
Backed by our
No Fee Promise
Case Results
$3,300,000
Wrongful Death
- case details are confidential.
$2,400,000
Degloving Injury
from defective power winch.
$2,125,000
Car Accident
resulting in neck and head injury.