Every child develops mentally and physically at a unique pace. If you are noticing your baby or young child is developing slower than other children, such as a delay in crawling, walking, talking, thinking, or learning, these may be signs of a development delay caused by brain damage that resulted from a birth injury. Parents need to pay close attention to their children's development, especially during the first few years. If developmental delays are occurring, detecting the problem early and providing treatment will help your child mature into a healthier and more productive adult.
Delays in development may occur from a variety of reasons, including genetics, a mother who abused alcohol or drugs, or from medical negligence, such as a nurse or doctor causing a birth injury. Some birth injuries may not even be noticed for the first few years, but due to the statute of limitations, a parent who believes their child is a victim of a birth injury and is noticing developmental delays, should immediately consult with an experienced birth injury attorney before time runs out to take legal action.
Birth injuries resulting from medical negligence or medical malpractice include hypoxia or trauma. Both hypoxia and trauma birth injuries may be responsible for development delays in a child. A hypoxia injury can occur from lack of oxygen to the brain. This can lead to cerebral palsy which may take a mild or severe form. As the infant becomes older, the cerebral palsy symptoms will become more noticeable and development delays will become more apparent. If a doctor fails to perform a necessary
C-section, fails to detect a prolapsed umbilical cord, or improperly uses the forceps or vacuum during a difficult delivery, cerebral palsy can occur.
Cerebral palsy can lead to a lifetime of developmental problems both physical and mental, including permanent paralysis and mental retardation.
Birth injuries from trauma may occur if a doctor is having a difficult time with the extraction of the baby through the birth canal, such as if the baby's head is too large to exit. If the doctor failed to detect the warning signs and prepare for this problem, such as performing a cesarean section, or improperly caused trauma to the baby's head and neck when twisting the infant's head to help exit the birth canal, a trauma injury can occur. One form of trauma injury that may result from using too much twisting to the baby's head and neck is Erbs palsy, which results from damage to the brachial plexus nerves in the infant and leads to partial paralysis of the baby.
Severe development delays may require a lifetime of medical care, including medicine, operations, physical therapy, and access to a fulltime caregiver. If you believe your child was the victim of medical malpractice resulting in a birth injury, you may have a case for medical malpractice. You should consult with a professional medical malpractice lawyer who specializes in birth injuries and developmental delays.