Children who live with a variety of physical and mental deficits may have suffered injuries around the time of birth. These problems can cause life-long consequences and huge costs of care to the family. The effects of cerebral palsy, infant brain damage and other birth injuries are frequently life-altering for babies and parents. Some of these birth injuries include:
- Cerebral palsy
- Mental retardation
- Infant Brain Injury
- Epilepsy
- Birth Injuries misdiagnosed and/or mislabeled as “Autism”
- Erb’s palsy
- Shoulder Dystocia; see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_bibDLPW98
- Bracheal Plexus Injury
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN)
- Retinopathy
- Cephalohematoma
- Fractures
- Bruising
- Caput Succedaneum
- Paralysis
Injury to the brain can arise from oxygen deprivation before, during or after delivery. Fetal or infant brain damage can be caused in many ways and for many different reasons. In some cases, it occurs as a result of improper medical care. A few causes of permanent brain damage that may warrant compensation include:
- Negligent prenatal care, such as failure to diagnose and treat risk factors before the child is born
- Negligent monitoring and/or failure to timely detect fetal distress (i.e. umbilical cord wrapped around the neck of a fetus causing deprivation of oxygen to the brain)
- Inducing labor contractions and additional stress on the fetus by administering Pitocin, Synthethic Oxytocin, Syntocinon or other drugs at a time when the fetus is already in distress
- Failure to timely perform a Cesarean Section
- Negligent handling of a breech delivery, such excessive and unnecessary force or pressure during delivery
- Negligent treatment of placental abruption
- Other Health care provider malpractice or negligence
Possible indications of brain damage to a newborn:
- Baby has a limp, droopy appearance, lack of muscle tone
- Infant is slightly blue in skin hue or color
- Infant does not breathe on his/her own immediately after delivery and/or is resuscitated
- Seizures develop within a couple of days after delivery
- Poor muscle control
- Paralysis
- Unresponsiveness
- Bruising
- Deformities
- Extreme sleepiness
- Excessive crying
Possible signs of cerebral palsy that may appear over time:
- Failure to reach developmental benchmarks
- Child does not timely crawl, walk and/or lacks of coordination, etc.
- Spastic, rigid or tight muscles
- Problems eating, swallowing, talking at appropriate age
Regardless of age, a person or their family may be entitled to substantial compensation if they suffer from birth related cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy, Erb’s palsy, or other injuries.
Contact Us
If you or your family has been touched by the tragedy of a child birth injury, please call us at (810) 603-3400 for a free consultation or contact us by submitting our online form or by sending an email. It can be challenging to find the right attorney to handle these complex cases. Our law firm helps victims of birth trauma and medical malpractice find firms that focus on this unique area of practice. We will do our best to help you or refer you to a birth injury attorney in your area who can.
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