Every parent wants the best for their child, and when you’re about to welcome a new baby into the world, this should be a joyous occasion that is cherished for the rest of your life. While a lot of births go ahead without any issue, there are also scenarios where this isn’t the case, and complications can result in either temporary or permanent issues for the child and mother. One of these issues could be a brain injury at birth, and this can be an incredibly upsetting and traumatic experience for families who have to deal with this. If you think that your child has suffered from a brain injury at birth, read on to find out more about this and what you can do about it.
What Is Brain Injury at Birth?
As suggested in the name, it is an injury that occurs during labor that results in some form of brain damage. Cerebral Palsy is a common brain injury that occurs during birth, and this can affect a person’s speech and mobility, amongst other lifelong difficulties. This can be caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, which can happen before birth or during labor. Your baby might also have suffered injuries during birth if forceps have been used incorrectly, for example, or they could have caughtan infection that could have been prevented. Some symptoms of brain damage in infants include abnormally shaped or sized heads, seizures, stiff necks, and an abnormally shaped spine.
You might not notice these signs at first, but as your child develops into a toddler, other indications that there has been a brain injury could be a lack of motor coordination, difficulty with their sight and speech, seizures, and spasticity of their muscles.
What Can You Do About It?
If you believe that your child has suffered from a brain injury at birth due to the negligence of the medical staff, you can take legal action. Look for solicitors whose expertise is in brain injury at birth for the right legal counsel regarding this issue. They will be able to support you through this process to get the best outcome for you. If you have a case, you will be entitled to compensation to help you cover past and future medical expenses that you might incur to help your child get the right treatments for their injury, as well as any special care that you might need for them.
You might also want to think about getting some emotional support as this can be a traumatic experience for parents as well as the child. Specialist counselors can help you by allowing you to talk through your feelings about the situation in a safe, private space and may be able to teach you some coping mechanisms if you are struggling mentally with the circumstances. You could also reach out to support groups for other parents who are in your situation for advice and to be with other people who understand your situation.
No parent wants this to happen to their child, but these things can happen. If you believe that your child has suffered from a brain injury during birth, get a diagnosis from your doctor and speak to a lawyer so you can take action.