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Affected parents want to see their baby recover from brain damage as completely as possible. What can be done for injuries resulting from a delivery that, for whatever reason, goes wrong? What treatments are available to care providers seeking to help a baby recover from brain damage?
Above all, could a birth injury have been prevented? If so, it could be a cause of action for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Although there are many types of birth injury that can occur during a botched delivery, brain injuries are the most problematic due to their very nature.
How Does Infant Brain Damage Happen?
There are a number of different events that can cause a baby to suffer a traumatic brain injury during delivery. Often, it can be due to a lack of oxygen, or neonatal asphyxia. While this is more of a risk with premature births, it can still occur when the infant is carried to full term. On average, according to the Benioff Children’s Hospital, neonatal asphyxia affects one in 250 full-term births.
Factors that can cause birth asphyxia include:
- the umbilical cord gets wrapped around the baby’s neck
- maternal hypertension (preeclampsia)
- fetal anemia (iron deficiency)
- the placenta separates prematurely
- breech birth or the baby gets stuck in the birth canal
Although serious, such complications can be prevented if the obstetrician and his or her team are properly monitoring the situation and act quickly.
What is the Prognosis for Infant Brain Injuries?
Will a baby recover from brain damage? The answer to that depends on the nature of the injury. Because the brain is so complex, it is difficult to predict what the long-term effects will be.
In general, however, if the cause is birth asphyxia and the oxygen deprivation was mild and of short duration, a full recovery is possible – provided the infant receives prompt medical treatment and physical therapy when required. However, if the infant was deprived of oxygen for a longer time, the effects can be irreversible.
What About Brain Trauma?
Because a newborn’s skull has not yet ossified and the brain is still developing, the infant brain is at greater risk for injuries such as concussion, pressure on the skull or other blunt-force trauma. This type of injury can cause changes in the brain that if not treated right away, can become worse – and may even be fatal.
What Are the Consequences of Infant Brain Injuries?
This depends on the severity of the brain injury. In about 10 percent of cases, the result of even mild brain trauma can be periodic seizures. Sometimes, this is temporary. However, there is a danger that the child will develop epilepsy and suffer from seizures for the rest of his or her life. Other consequences can be:
- spasticity or cerebral palsy
- cognitive and developmental dysfunction
- immobility due to heterotopic ossification
What Treatments Are Available to Help a Baby Recover from Brain Damage?
Because the brain is so complex, a full recovery may not be possible, particularly in cases of severe trauma or prolonged asphyxia. Surgeries, medications and ongoing therapy can mitigate some of the effects; however, these may be required for a lifetime.
Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation.
The cerebral palsy attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual birth injury lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you.
Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.
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We at Top Class Actions are not attorneys, but by filling out the form on this page, we will connect you to a birth injury attorney with years of experience with complex birth injury cases.
If your child was injured at birth, you may have a legal claim. Submit your information now for a free case evaluation.
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