Parents planning for the birth of a child often eagerly await their arrival. They may have very few specific hopes other than a healthy birth. Unfortunately, for a small percentage of families, an infant comes into the world already struggling with medical challenges.
Brain injuries can be a result of intervention gone wrong during labor and delivery or a failure on the part of medical professionals to intervene in a timely fashion. Given that a newborn can’t communicate directly with parents, people need to know how to monitor their children for warning signs of brain injuries.
Abnormal physical development
Sometimes, people can tell just by looking at their child that there is something physically wrong with them. A child with a brain injury might have an excessively large forehead or a smaller head than other babies. Their spine may seem misshapen. Additionally, parents may notice that they seem to have unusual or distorted facial features. Those signs of unusual physical development can be an indicator that parents may need to have their child more thoroughly evaluated by a medical professional.
Concerning medical issues
A child with a brain injury might experience otherwise unexplained seizures. The infant might also have a stiff neck or may demonstrate an inability to move their eyes or focus on objects in their line of vision.
Behavioral symptoms
Some newborns simply act differently than other babies, which can be potentially obvious to those who have more than one child in their families. A baby’s inability to sleep while lying down or having issues with feeding could be a sign of brain injury. Persistent crying, especially if they arch their back while crying, can also be an indicator of an untreated and significant medical issue. In some cases, brain injuries only become obvious when children start growing and show signs of developmental delay. Parents who recognize the warning symptoms of brain injuries can potentially intervene to get their children the care they require.
Filing a medical malpractice lawsuit might also be appropriate when birth injuries lead to lost wages for parents or medical costs for the child. Families that identify injuries as early as possible are in a better situation to seek compensation for them.