The Long Lasting Effects of Birth Trauma

Roughly one out of every 125 babies sustains an injury during birth. And these injuries can have lifelong effects that will impact the child forever. All too often, they are the result of carelessness on the part of the delivering doctors and nurses.

Common Birth Injuries

Some of the most common, long-lasting injuries associated with birth trauma are Cerebral and Erb’s palsy, Brachial Plexus Injuries, perinatal asphyxia, and spinal cord injuries. The causes of all of these injuries differ, but procedures that prevent oxygen from getting to the baby’s brain are common. Often, they are the result of permanent nerve damage.

Identifying Symptoms of Birth Injuries

• Cerebral Palsy: Impairment of muscle and motor functions, spastic movements, intellectual or cognitive delay.
• Erb’s Palsy: Inability to move the arm or shoulder, weak or nonexistent reflexes, numbness, or pain.
• Brachial Plexus Injury: Inability to move one arm, burning sensation in the arm, lack of sensitivity, loss of feeling in the arm, muscle weakness, intense pain.
• Perinatal Asphyxia: Symptoms associated with Cerebral Palsy, autism, impaired vision, organ failure, and death.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Paralysis, neurological tics, lack of touch sensation, spasms, strange reflexes.
• Shoulder Dystocia Injury: Condition when one or both of your child’s shoulders get stuck behind your pubic bone or sacrum during a delivery. Emergency delivery would then be required.

What’s in Store after Birth Injuries

Some injuries, like swelling of the scalp or burst blood vessels in the eye, usually clear up on their own. For others, the children are looking at a lifetime of medical visits and special needs that their homes may not be equipped for. Wheelchairs are a common need and must be upgraded as the child grows, compounding more costs. Additional surgeries and regular medications can help fix some of the problems, but those too can become expensive for a family to afford—and it’s rare that they can fix all of the issues.

For very serious injuries, like paralysis from a spinal cord injury, the child may need a full-time caregiver and a total revamp of the home, as well as help from a therapist as the child grows. One simple slip-up can become a very costly injury over the lifetime of the child.

The attorneys at CFLB want to help you get what you need to move forward in life with peace of mind. From fighting for you in court to helping you plan for every new challenge you may face, we’re your advocates. If you or your child was injured during childbirth and you believe you have a case, contact us today for a free consultation.