Delivery room errors are unexpected and can have long-reaching effects on your family’s health. One of the more common and impactful birth injuries is brain damage. That’s because nearly anything that delays or complicates the birth cuts the baby off from oxygen and can potentially lead to injury.
Once the damage is done, the symptoms may not be immediately obvious. That’s why our team put together this guide explaining what parents should know about infant brain injuries.
Signs and Symptoms
The most difficult thing about an infant brain injury is that there’s no way to know exactly how the injury will impact your child until they are old enough to speak. However, there are several warning signs of an infant brain injury that can indicate cognitive impairment at an early age. Some of these symptoms include:
- Baby Never Laughs or Cries
- If your baby seems strangely quiet, it could be the effect of an infant brain injury. Even if your baby cries often, a lack of smiling or laughing could also indicate early warning signs of an infant brain injury.
- Baby Does Not React
- At about 3-6 months, your baby should respond to peek-a-boo and the sight of your face. If your baby does not respond to lights or noises, it’s a cause for concern and could indicate cognitive impairment.
- Delayed Milestones
- Consult with your pediatrician about important milestones such as crawling, walking, and talking. If your baby significantly delays or misses several of these milestones, there is an increased chance that they experienced a brain injury.
- Difficulty Understanding
- Once your baby can talk, they should be able to understand logical if-then reactions and consequences. If it seems your child does not understand logical connections by age 2 or 3, you should contact your pediatrician immediately.
Next Steps
If you believe your child was impacted by an infant brain injury, you should contact a birth injury attorney. An attorney can examine all of the evidence and help you prove whether your child’s birth injury was the result of medical malpractice and negligence.
While you cannot change a brain injury, pursuing a medical malpractice claim will help your family afford routine medical care and help secure a more comfortable life for your child.
Contact our team today at (305) 900-5493.