Children typically have a number of developmental markers from the time they are born including sitting up, walking, talking, etc. During that time, you and your pediatrician will track your child’s progress to make sure those milestones are being met at the right time. It is natural for children to show signs of development at different paces. However, there are a number of reasons why children may fall behind. Hard as it might be for parents to fathom, one of the reasons for the child falling behind might be brain damage. The symptoms of brain damage may show up soon after birth or even in the weeks and months after you take your baby home from the hospital.
While brain damage is most commonly associated with learning disabilities, other issues including emotional, physical and cognitive problems stemming from brain damage may surface in a number of different ways. Physical symptoms may appear in the form of seizures, slurred speech or an inability to maintain balance while standing. Emotional issues may manifest in the form of depression or mood swings. Cognitive problems may lead to learning disabilities, memory issues and difficulty focusing or concentrating.
Symptoms of Brain Damage at Birth
A number of cases of brain damage will likely be apparent after the birth of the child. Here are some of those signs:
• Abnormally large forehead.
• Unusually small or large skull
• Abnormal facial features
• Seizures
• Difficulty with vision or focus
• Stiffness
• Inability to feed
If these symptoms surface soon after the baby is delivered, you will begin to work with your doctor immediately to establish a plan for treatment and care. Milder cases are, however, much more difficult to pinpoint. If your child begins to experience developmental delays, you should talk to your doctor about the possible causes and potential treatment plans. Brain damage during birth may result in serious lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Determining the Cause of Brain Damage
The next step is to determine what caused the brain damage. Was it a physical injury at birth? To find out, your child may need a CT scan, MRI or other physical tests. In some cases, your baby may even need surgery to stop the bleeding in the brain, to relieve pressure or to repair cranial fractures. Medications may help control seizures and other behavioral problems. Children may also benefit from physical and behavioral therapy. The following factors may cause infant brain damage at birth – compression or fractures of the skull, bleeding in the brain, oxygen deprivation or asphyxia and maternal infections.
If you believe that negligence on the part of your doctor or medical team caused your child’s brain injury or brain damage, it is important that you get in touch with an experienced New York birth injury lawyer who will help ensure that you receive maximum compensation to continue with your child’s treatment and care. Birth injuries that cause brain damage are preventable with careful monitoring of the mother and the fetus, promptly treating maternal infections, identifying risk factors that result in a long labor and delivery and ordering a timely Cesarean section (C-section), which may help get the baby out quickly without trauma.
If Your Child Has Been Injured
Birth injuries can be extremely traumatic and the consequences can be long lasting. A child who suffers cerebral palsy as a result of brain damage may experience permanent injuries and disabilities. The parents of a child who has been injured at birth may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, future income, loss of livelihood, cost of continuing treatment, rehabilitative therapy, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If your child has suffered a birth injury as the result of medical negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. One of our clients secured a $2,850,000 verdict in an arm injury case (Erb’s palsy also known as brachial plexus palsy) that was reduced by the appeals court to $1,850,000 because the verdict was so large. This was the highest amount upheld by the appellate courts in an Erb’s palsy case for many, many years. In addition we recovered $1,400,000 for a newborn who lost motion in the arm during birth due to doctors applying incorrect force on the baby’s head.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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