Free Consultation
When young children suffer a neonatal brain injury, it may take years to diagnose. Often, symptoms of infant brain damage do not appear until much later.
A new medical technology, however, may allow us to discover infant brain damage faster and more accurately. Researchers at Washington University are developing a device utilizing the same technology in smart watches that detects neurological injuries at early stages. This allows for early intervention, which is extremely helpful to improving side effects of infant brain damage.
However, before these devices reach mainstream medical facilities, there are some other ways to tell whether your child endured brain damage from a birth injury. After identifying the damage, you and your child may be entitled to some compensation from medical malpractice lawsuit.
Most birth injuries are related to a lack of oxygen flow to the brain, also known as Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). When the brain does not receive enough oxygen, detrimental harm occurs.
The timeline of brain damage happens very fast, especially in newborns. In other words, even a small amount of oxygen deprivation can cause infant brain damage and other lasting effects.
From this timeline, it is clear to see that medical professionals must act quickly when dealing with HIE in a newborn. Overall, without fast action infant brain damage is nearly unavoidable.
Infant brain damage caused by HIE at birth can manifest in many different ways. This includes:
These are only a few examples of how a lack of oxygen during birth can permanently damage your child.
Although difficult to detect at birth, there are some signs of infant brain damage during delivery:
Many of these signs should prompt direct actions from medical care professionals that can help avoid permanent brain damage.
Detecting brain damage in early childhood is relatively easier than in infancy. Developmental problems, such as these, are tell tale:
Medical examinations like a MRI or CT head scan detect and diagnose most infant brain damage. Because these tests provide images of the brain, issues can be seen more clearly.
However, these tests are only recommended when the child scores below a 15 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. This is a test that assess brain impairment through different stimuli. Some of the reactions tested include, eye opening and motor responses.
Infant brain damage may appear at various times after birth. Some of the physical symptoms include:
Other cognitive symptoms include:
Although some infant brain damage is irreversible, there are some treatments that may lessen the effects.
Initially, if a birth injury is detected shortly after birth, neonatal hypothermia therapy is recommended. The relatively new treatment lowers a baby’s total body temperature to slow down brain damage or disease. During this procedure, a cold blanket placed around the infants cools the temperature. Then, monitoring occurs for a few days. Doctors may also use an IV to administer medication.
Because most infant brain damage is not realized until childhood, some treatment methods may not be as effective. However, these actions may still reduce the negative effects:
Infant brain damage can result in lifelong effects and an overall decrease in quality of life for both the parents and child. Infant brain damage is oftentimes quite preventable with quality medical care and treatment. Sadly, many infant patients do not receive adequate medical care resulting in serious health consequences.
If you have any questions concerning a birth injury claim, you should speak to a lawyer immediately. Contact our experienced medical malpractice injury attorneys by email or by calling (718) 364-4000 for important information and advice. You can also fill out one of our case intake forms, and we will have one of our attorneys get right back to you.