Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for March, 2011

Retinoblastoma affects about 300 children in the United States every year and 5,000 kids worldwide.

 In New York, a 2 year- old child had surgery to remove her left eye. Her mother first spotted the trouble while bathing her daughter. She noticed  her daughter’s eyes were “reflecting funny”  -similar to the glassy, glowing quality a dog’s eyes have in photographs. Her next pediatrician appointment, the mother asked the doctor to take a look. When a light was shined in the little girl’s eye,the doctor saw nothing. The mother prompted the doctor to look again without a light and this time, she spotted something abnormal.

 It was soon discovered the toddler suffered from retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer affecting the retina, the layer of cells at the back of the eye that senses light.  As good as healthcare is today, unfortunately cases such as this still occur.  Could it have been caught earlier? How can parents protect their child from the same kind of tragedy?

 ”If we had known what we were looking for, it would have been easy to pick up. That’s what makes me upset,” the child’s mother said. “There are so many things that people warn you about, don’t buy this toy because it was made somewhere and it could have lead in it and don’t let your child use this stroller because the safety mechanism is off.”

 In yet another case, a jury in Chicago awarded an 8-year-old boy $7.9 million dollars in a negligence case against his pediatrician.  The child had been seen by his pediatrician up until he was about a yr. old. The doctor  had examined his retinas on 7 separate occasions.  On a subsequent visit to another pediatrician, the youngster was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. He lost vision in both eyes.

  Symptoms of retinoblastoma may include:

• A white or pink pupil and lazy eye
• Less common symptoms are redness in the white part of the eye
• Eye pain
• Vision problems and
• A pupil that does not get smaller with light

 Two thirds of the cases of retinoblastoma are the non-hereditary type in which the gene mutation develops after birth and is present in only one eye. As far as cancers go, the outlook is said to be good. More than 90 percent of kids with retinoblastoma can be cured.

Download a copy of a “Parent’s Guide to Understanding Retinoblastoma” by clicking here.

Always seek the advice of a medical specialist if you have concerns about anything related to your child’s health and well being. If you believe you may have the basis for a medical negligence claim, contact a Florida Medical Malpractice attorney who has experience handling child injury claims. But don’t delay, Florida has strict time limits for bringing a medical malpractice claim.

Clearwater Child Injury Lawyer, Working to Make Safety Every Child’s Reality.

Parents do all they can to protect their kids from injuries in car accidents, playground falls, bicycle crashes, household burns and the list goes on and on. Our children’s safety is our first concern.

But what about internet safety? Is there a plan in place in your home to help keep your children protected from threats to their safety while online? A recent news source reported 54% of young people admitted to engaging in risky online behavior. Internet safety can seem like  an overwhelming task for parents and care givers. We all know there is no substitute for adult supervision but additional resources are out there to help.

Check out www.internetsafety101.org – a website with a wealth of information including “Rules and Tools” – an internet safety checklist, along with other ways to educate and empower yourself to keep your children safe online!