Every expectant parent wishes to welcome a healthy baby into the world. However, according to a study, at least one in 1,000 babies is born with bone injuries, and many also experience other birth injuries.
Birth injuries can happen before, during, or after birth for various reasons. Many heal without treatment, but some can result in life-long complications and disability. If your baby was born into this world with a birth injury, you’re not alone. Here are some of the most common birth injuries families encounter and how you can deal with them.
Cerebral Palsy
Many law firms, like The Tinker Law Firm PLLC, meet with stressed, heartbroken parents who discover their child has cerebral palsy. While the causes and severity of this condition can vary, it’s not uncommon for the care medical professionals provide to be called into question.
Cerebral palsy can result in a wide range of symptoms, such as involuntary muscle movements, impaired reflexes, fine motor skill difficulties, and more. If you believe your medical care team is to blame for your child’s diagnosis, seeking legal help might be the best course of action for getting the justice you deserve.
Brain Damage
If a child experiences a severe head injury during the birthing process, they might experience physical and neurological impairments. While some babies make a full recovery, others are left with long-term disabilities.
Brain damage can be caused by many things, including bleeding in the brain, a loss of oxygen, an undiagnosed brain infection, or even injuries associated with vacuum extraction. Brain damage can’t always be avoided, but some instances can be linked back to the medical team who assisted with the birth.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Babies aren’t always in a hurry to enter this world, and specialist intervention is sometimes required to give them a little bit of encouragement. However, a doctor pulling too hard on a baby’s spine during delivery can sometimes result in spinal cord injuries. While these injuries aren’t as common as others, they can be catastrophic. The outcome of severe spinal cord injuries can sometimes be decreased movement, reflex loss, and limb paralysis. For some children, such injuries are fatal.
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) describes a lack of oxygen and blood flow during the birthing process. Babies can sometimes be at risk of HIE if they remain in the wrong position for too long, experience abnormally long labor, have placental bleeding, or experience umbilical cord prolapse.
The severity of the HIE can determine the impact on the child. Some children don’t experience any life-long health complications, while others have feeding issues, seizures, and issues relating to senses like hearing or vision. According to studies, up to 60% of children born with this birth complication die by age two or have severe disabilities. Seeking legal help can sometimes be necessary when a medical professional’s actions result in HIE.
No parent ever wants to hear the news that a traumatic birth process resulted in birth injuries. However, it happens frequently. If you’ve found yourself in this situation, now might be the right time to seek legal and medical assistance for the best interests of your child.
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