Expectant parents put trust in doctors and other medical professionals to monitor and care for mother and baby during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. These healthcare providers are responsible for making sure that mother and child are safe throughout and that any complications that arise are treated properly and in a timely manner. However, in some cases, medical professionals do not provide expectant mothers and unborn or newborn babies with the accepted standard of care. In these situations, the potential for birth injuries is significantly increased.
Unfortunately, birth injuries that occur during pregnancy and childbirth can go undetected for days, weeks, months, and even years after a child is born. Parents may not know that their child is suffering from a birth injury until much later in the child’s life. Often, these types of injuries and the subsequent illnesses or medical conditions are presented to parents as natural occurrences or as complications that could not have been prevented. For this reason, if you discover that your child suffers from a condition that may have occurred during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, you should have all medical records reviewed by an experienced birth injury attorney.
Common Birth Injuries that May Go Undetected
Some birth injuries are easily recognized in newborns, either at the time of birth or shortly after. Other birth injuries may take time to be diagnosed. The following are some of the most common birth injuries that may not be diagnosed immediately following birth:
In addition to those conditions listed above, there are many birth injuries that may go undetected for different reasons. Any type of birth injury that causes oxygen deprivation or bleeding to the baby’s brain can result in brain damage that is not easily detectable until the child begins to miss important developmental milestones. It is important for parents to be aware of these milestones and the symptoms of infant brain damage in order to recognize whether their child is a victim of a birth injury that could have been prevented.
Symptoms of Infant Brain Damage
Some symptoms of infant brain damage are recognizable a short time after birth simply by noting the baby’s appearance. However, these symptoms are not always present, and brain damage may not be identified until much later. Some of the immediately identifiable symptoms are:
Symptoms that are not immediately detectable include developmental delays that may present with cognitive, perceptual, and physical symptoms. These include:
Additionally, some children who suffer from brain damage miss developmental milestones such as:
Do You Suspect Your Child Suffers from a Birth Injury?
If you suspect that your child suffers from a birth injury, it’s important that you contact a knowledgeable birth injury attorney to review your case. The birth injury may have been caused by the negligence or mistakes of a doctor or other medical professional and you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Ross Feller Casey is among the nation’s foremost litigators of birth injury lawsuits and has an unparalleled record of multimillion-dollar recoveries in such cases. Contact our leading birth injury attorneys today for a free evaluation of your case. We can help you determine whether you have a lawsuit and advise you on how to proceed.
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