Questions pack for every specialist

For the neonatologist

1. What do you think happened, and when?
2. What were the cord blood gas results, including pH and base deficit? ¹
3. What were the Apgar scores at 1, 5 and 10 minutes? ⁴
4. Which Sarnat stage was recorded, and at what time? ⁵
5. Was cooling considered? What was decided, and why? ⁶
6. Was an EEG done, and did it show seizures we could not see? ⁷
7. What did the MRI show, and which parts of the brain are involved?
8. Was the placenta sent to pathology? Can I have that report? ¹
9. What are the bilirubin values, and what is the threshold for my baby right now? ⁸
10. What are the glucose values, and were low readings confirmed in the laboratory? ⁹

For the pediatric neurologist

1. What did the MRI show, and when was it done?
2. Does the pattern suggest an injury or a difference in how the brain formed? ¹
3. Which functions are most likely to be affected?
4. Should we do genetic or metabolic testing? ¹⁰
5. Is there a seizure risk, and what would a seizure look like in my child? ¹¹
6. What would you expect to see by 6 months if things are going well?
7. What would concern you?
8. Which parts of this are genuinely uncertain right now?

For the developmental pediatrician

1. Which areas of development are affected, and by how much? ¹²
2. Are we using corrected age, and until when? ¹³
3. Have hearing and vision been formally assessed? ^{14 15}
4. Has cortical visual impairment been considered? ¹⁵
5. What therapies do you recommend, how often, and what is the goal of each? ¹⁶
6. When should we look at a communication device?
7. How will we know whether therapy is working?

For the orthopedic surgeon

1. When does hip surveillance start, and how often are X-rays repeated? ¹⁰
2. What do the hip X-rays show, and what number are you watching?
3. If we do nothing, what happens over the next two years?
4. What is the goal of any surgery: walking, comfort, sitting or care?
5. How long is recovery, and what does it ask of the family?
6. Is there pain, and how would we know?

For the therapy team

1. What is the one goal we are working on this quarter? ¹⁶
2. How will we measure it?
3. What should we do at home, and can you watch me do it once?
4. Is constraint-induced therapy appropriate for my child? ¹⁷
5. When should we start a communication assessment?
6. Can services happen at home or at daycare rather than at a clinic? ¹⁸

For the audiologist and the vision team

Audiology

1. Which screening method was used, and did it include auditory brainstem response? ¹⁹
2. Is this sensorineural loss or auditory neuropathy?
3. When should we retest? ¹⁴

Vision

1. Does the eye exam explain what we are seeing at home? ¹⁵
2. Could this be cortical visual impairment?
3. What should we change at home so my child can see more easily?

For an attorney consultation

1. How many birth injury cases have you personally handled?
2. How many have you taken to trial, and when was the last one?
3. Who will work on this day to day, and will you be the person at trial?
4. What are the weaknesses you can already see?
5. What is the deadline in my case, and what is your basis for that? ²⁰
6. What is your contingency percentage, and does it change at trial? ²¹
7. Are case costs deducted before or after your fee is calculated? ²¹
8. Who pays the costs if we lose?
9. How long do cases like this usually take?
10. What will be asked of my family, and when?

The attorney interview scorecard has space to score the answers against what a strong answer sounds like. It recommends nobody.