3 Signs of Birth Injury That Every Parent Should Know

signs of birth injury

There are many different types of birth injuries and a variety of ways and reasons for which they can come about. The unfortunate fact of the matter is, though, that a lot of birth injuries fall into the category of medical malpractice. Whether it be from something like blunt force trauma during the actual birthing process, or oxygen deprivation from being compressed in the birth canal for too long, the need for birth injury lawyers is crucial, but something you hope to never need.

Overall, there are about 28,000 babies born with some type of birth injury every year. On average, seven out of every 1,000 babies born will have signs of birth injury. There are many different types and signs of birth injury that every prospective parent should be aware of. Here are three signs of birth injury and what they might mean.

  1. Physical Signs: Naturally, the most obvious signs of birth injury are those that are physically present. Things like bumps, cuts, and bruises should be easily identifiable, even though they don’t necessarily mean anything is seriously wrong. Abnormally large, small, or distorted features are all signs of birth injury potential, too.Cerebral palsy, the most common motor disability in children, can result from birth injury, and “spastic” cases (80% of all CP) will cause muscle stiffness and awkward movement.
  2. Developmental Issues:Recognizing a birth injury in a newborn doesn’t always happen immediately on the physical level. Sometimes, the signs of birth injury don’t reveal themselves until later in the developmental process. Things like difficulty concentrating, memory and processing of information, controlling impulses, and overall communication skills can all be signs stemming from an earlier birth injury that went unnoticed at the time.
  3. Perceptual Symptoms: These signs of birth injury can be incredibly difficult — if not impossible — to diagnose in young children. These factors include spatial disorientation, changes in vision, and increased sensitivity to pain. Because these sort of things can really be determined in babies, this can lead to many cases of birth injury left without being diagnosed until much later in life when it might be too late to seek restitution.

The birth of a child is one of life’s greatest gifts. Preparing for an accidental or happenstance event that results in a birth injury is not something any parent wants to think about, but it’s an important part of the process to ensure your baby gets the proper care and treatment going forward.

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