Signs of Infant Head Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries and head injuries are among the most common types of birth injury. These injuries are often caused by trauma to a baby’s skull or brain or by a lack of oxygen to the brain immediately before, during, or after childbirth. Many infant head injuries are preventable, especially those caused by medical malpractice. The injuries resulting from negligence can have tragic, long-term results, including brain damage and conditions like cerebral palsy that affect motor skills, learning, and cognitive functions.

Some of the symptoms of head injuries in infants are similar to those experienced by adults. However, the functional impact can be drastically different. The cognitive impairments of infants with a traumatic brain injury may not become apparent until the child gets older.

If your child has suffered a birth injury caused by medical malpractice, the highly skilled and compassionate New York infant brain injury lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C. on Long Island are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call 855-TOP-FIRM now for a free and confidential consultation.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Infants

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in babies can occur when physical force impacts the head. This can occur if the baby’s head gets stuck in the birth canal. Brain injuries can also be caused by physical trauma caused during childbirth. A doctor might use forceps or a vacuum extractor, which help aid delivery. However, they can damage the skull and brain if the physician puts too much force on the baby’s head with forceps. A considerable percentage of infant brain injuries occur due to asphyxiation, which is when the brain is deprived of oxygen.

Common causes of asphyxiation include:

• Complications with the umbilical cord
• Complications with the placenta
• The infant’s head getting stuck in the birth canal
• Mother’s illness

Symptoms of Brain Injuries in Children

There are many signs and symptoms that suggest an infant brain injury has occurred as a result of medical negligence.

Signs and symptoms include:

• Seizures within the first 48 hours of life
• The newborn is floppy
• The newborn’s skin is blue or dusky
• Poor sucking after birth
• The infant needs resuscitation because they are not breathing
• The baby was born full-term but did not go home with the mother
• An uncomplicated pre-natal course
• The mother’s water was ruptured for over 24 hours, and there is fecal staining on the infant at the time of delivery

Other signs and symptoms that an infant has suffered a head or brain trauma include:

• Vomiting
• Blood oozing from the nose, ears, or mouth
• Paralysis
• Convulsions

How Malpractice Makes Infant Head Injuries Worse

Not only can negligence cause infant brain injuries, but it can also exacerbate them.

Ways in which medical malpractice worsens head injuries include:

• Failure to diagnose a brain bleed, blood clot, heart attack, or stroke when the misdiagnosed condition causes brain damage
• Surgical errors during neurosurgery which cause brain injury
• Undiagnosed brain infections
• Anesthesia errors
• Medication errors
• Failure to provide the newborn with oxygen during birth
• Failure to monitor the baby during the birthing process
• Failure to respond to fetal distress
• Failure to treat a newborn with breathing difficulties
• Failure to intubate (insert a tube into the trachea for ventilation) properly

How an Infant Brain Injury Attorney Can Help

If your infant has suffered a brain or head injury as a result of medical negligence, you may be eligible to seek financial compensation. The expenses for the treatment, healing, and rehabilitation of your injured or disabled child can be overwhelming.

An experienced New York infant brain injury lawyer can guide you through the complexities of your case. A qualified lawyer can gather relevant evidence, review medical records, and interview witnesses, among other important legal tasks, in order to win your claim. During your free initial consultation, the medical malpractice lawyers of Finz & Finz, P.C. can determine the validity of your case. We can help determine that if there is proof that your baby’s head injury was caused by negligence in the form of either a mistake or incompetence of a doctor or other health care professional.

If you have a viable case, the New York birth injury lawyers of Finz & Finz, P.C. will file a lawsuit and fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Types of compensation include:

• Medical expenses, such as surgeries and medications
• Home care services
• Therapy and rehabilitation
• Other expenses as a result of the infant’s injury
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

Finz & Finz, P.C. can calculate the amount that should be sought on behalf of you and your child. We often base this on medical records and guidance from medical experts. We may even seek punitive damage if the evidence shows that your child’s head or brain injury resulted from willful conduct. If your child died from the injury, different types of compensation would be sought with a wrongful death claim.

Without the help of a skilled birth injury attorney, filing a lawsuit is a difficult and mentally taxing ordeal. Working with a birth injury attorney makes the legal process so much easier. Having a lawyer handle all the legal tasks and secure compensation for you allows you to focus of your child’s treatment while also being able to afford the costs.

Speak With an Infant Brain Injury Lawyer

Brain injuries suffered at birth can lead to disabilities and long-term health issues. If your child’s brain or head was injured at birth and you suspect that was due to medical negligence, your best course of action is to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.

For nearly four decades, the medical malpractice attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. on Long Island have helped families recover the compensation they need and deserve. Although compensation cannot undo an infant brain injury, it can help offset the losses your family has endured. Call 855-TOP-FIRM today for a free initial consultation.