Failure to Diagnose: Childhood Diseases and PTSD

A greatest fear for many parents is for something terrible to happen to their children. There are so many things that can go wrong, it can be difficult not to dwell on all the awful events that could seriously injure or even kill children. No matter how healthy a child seems, those thoughts can be unshakeable.

New research indicates that these worries are even worse for parents whose child has suffered a stroke. A new study conducted at Boston Children’s Hospital showed that fifty-five percent of parents whose child had suffered a stroke demonstrated at least one symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Twenty-four percent met all the criteria of PTSD.

Though research on parents of stroke victims is new, it was already established that other childhood illnesses could result in PTSD for a parent. Those illnesses include:

• Leukemia
• Other forms of cancer
• Any illness that requires an organ transplant
• Moyamoya

For parents, having a child suffer one terrible tragedy only serves to reinforce the fragility of life. Even worse is when the child’s illness could have been diagnosed earlier, if doctors had run the necessary tests or asked the right questions. The parents, already feeling guilt for their child’s illness, blame themselves that the diagnosis did not occur more quickly.

If your child has suffered additional harm due to a medical professional’s failure to diagnose a disease, don’t hesitate to contact an attorney. You are likely already in an emotionally difficult state, and you should seek any help you can find to get through this trying time. A qualified attorney knows the right questions and people to ask to determine whether or not negligence contributed to a bad outcome for you or your child.