Childbirth is a moment filled with hope and joy, but it can also be a time of unexpected challenges. In some cases, newborns may suffer injuries during labor or delivery. Many such complications during birth are the result of medical negligence (carelessness) and the resulting injuries can have lasting effects on a child’s health and development. Recognizing the warning signs of a birth injury early can make a critical difference in ensuring that the child receives the proper medical care and support.
What is a Birth Injury?
A birth injury refers to any harm that occurs to a baby during the labor and delivery process. These injuries may be minor and temporary such as slight bruising or severe and permanent, such as brain damage or nerve injury. Causes often include medical negligence (carelessness) and inadequate monitoring involving prolonged labor, improper use of medical tools, oxygen deprivation or undetected maternal complications.
Immediate Warning Signs After Birth
Some birth injuries are noticeable right away. Parents and healthcare providers should pay close attention to the following symptoms in the hours and days after delivery:
Unusual physical appearance: Bruising, swelling, or lumps on the head or face may indicate trauma from forceps or vacuum extraction. Skull fractures or an unusually shaped head can signal serious injury. Asymmetry in the face, such as drooping of one side, may point to facial nerve damage.
Difficulty breathing: Babies who struggle to breathe immediately after birth, require resuscitation, or need prolonged oxygen support may have suffered from oxygen deprivation (birth asphyxia). This can lead to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a serious condition affecting brain function.
Poor muscle tone: A newborn who appears limp with little resistance when held may be suffering from nerve damage, brain injury or a spinal cord problem. Conversely, stiffness or rigidity can also be a warning sign.
Seizures: In a newborn, seizures are never normal. They may present as twitching, jerking or unusual eye movements. Neonatal seizures often indicate brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation, infection, or trauma.
Difficulty feeding or sucking: Trouble latching, weak sucking or gagging during feeding may suggest nerve injuries, brain trauma or oral motor dysfunction. These issues can interfere with nutrition and growth if not addressed quickly.
Excessive crying or irritability: Babies in pain due to nerve damage, broken bones or other internal injuries may cry excessively and seem inconsolable. A high-pitched or abnormal cry can be a neurological warning sign.
Long-Term Warning Signs of Birth Injuries
Sometimes, the full effects of a birth injury do not become clear until a child is older. Parents and caregivers should look for:
Speech and language delays: Children with birth-related brain injuries may have trouble speaking, forming words, or understanding language.
Behavioral or learning difficulties: Conditions such as attention-deficit disorder, learning disabilities or social challenges may stem from oxygen deprivation or trauma during birth.
Motor skill impairments: Cerebral palsy, one of the frequently seen conditions linked to birth injuries, can cause problems with walking, balance, coordination, and fine motor skills.
Seizure disorders: Epilepsy and other seizure conditions may arise later in childhood as a result of neonatal brain injury.
If any of the above warning signs are noticed, parents would be well advised to seek immediate medical attention. Early diagnosis is critical for effective intervention. Therapies such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and medication can significantly improve outcomes for children affected by birth injuries.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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 Erb’s palsy (brachial plexus palsy) case that was reduced by the appeals court to $1,846,000 because the verdict was so large. This was the highest amount upheld by the appellate (appeals) courts 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. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
We have seen cases where New York City Health and Hospital Corporation facilities deliver babies who are born with brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) stemming from negligence (carelessness), and/or medical malpractice in the labor and delivery etc. of the children, such as cerebral palsy or brain damage etc.
The following list identifies some of these hospitals (operated by New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation):
• Jacobi Hospital aka Bronx Municipal 1400 Pelham Parkway South Bronx, New York 10461 718-918-5000
• Lincoln Hospital 234 East 149th Street Bronx, New York 10451 718-579-5000
• North Central Bronx Hospital 3424 Kossuth Avenue Bronx, New York 10467 718-519-5000
• Coney Island Hospital 2601 Ocean Parkway Brooklyn, New York 11235 718-616-3000
• Kings County Hospital 451 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11203 718-245-3131
• Woodhull Hospital 760 Broadway Brooklyn, New York 11206 718-963-8000
• Bellevue Hospital 462 First Avenue New York, New York 10016 212-562-5555
• Harlem Hospital 506 Lenox Avenue New York, New York 10037 212-939-1000
• Metropolitan Hospital 1901 First Avenue New York, New York 10029 212-423-6262
• Elmhurst Hospital 79-01 Broadway Elmhurst, New York 11373 718-334-4000
• Queens Hospital Center 82-68 164th Street Jamaica, New York 11432 718-883-3000
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, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy 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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