Nothing is more devastating to a new parent than finding out your baby isn’t well. Raising a child is a difficult task even in the best of circumstances. Raising a child with severe mental and physical disabilities as a result of infant brain damage can leave you wondering who to turn to for help. The following will describe infant brain injuries, what you can do if your child has suffered an injury at birth and when to contact a brain injury lawyer.
What are the effects of infant brain damage?
If your child has suffered infant brain damage at birth, they may face a future of cognitive, psychological and physical problems. These injuries encompass a wide spectrum of disorders and thus have differing effects on your child’s development. Depending on the severity of the brain damage, these physical and neurological problems could be devastating and long-lasting. In more mild cases, infants who have suffered brain damage may only need minimal assistance, and may go on to be independent and live normal lives.
How did this happen?
Traumatic infant brain injuries are devastating and may be caused by a variety of factors. The most common causes of infant brain damage include:
- Oxygen deprivation
When infants are unable to breathe on their own, permanent brain damage can occur in a matter of minutes. Doctors and medical staff need to act quickly to prevent lifelong complications like cerebral palsy, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental delay and vision and hearing problems. - Jaundice
While infant jaundice is a relatively common condition, it can cause serious complications if left untreated. - Physical trauma
Physical trauma is most often caused by a difficult birth or the incorrect use of birthing tools, such as forceps or improper vacuum extraction. If you believe your child was harmed due to the misapplication of a birthing tool, contact an experienced brain injury lawyer in Halifax today. - Maternal infections
Many common maternal infections, particularly when left undetected and un- or improperly treated, can increase the risk of infant brain damage resulting in cognitive impairment and may also increase the risk of premature birth, which is itself a risk factor for some types of infant brain damage. These include, but are not limited to:- Cystitis
- Diarrhea
- Herpes
- Pyelonephritis
- Rubella
- Syphillis
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Varicella
- Venereal warts
Filing a Malpractice Lawsuit
The costs and stresses associated with raising a child with cognitive and neurological damage are excessive. If your child has suffered infant brain damage, contact a brain injury lawyer from Wagners in Halifax today. We not only pursue medical negligence cases involving infant brain injury in Nova Scotia, but we also represent clients across the Maritimes, in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In order to be successful in a medical malpractice lawsuit, you’ll need to be able to prove with more than 50% likelihood that your child’s physician, and/or the hospital and nursing staff, were negligent and breached the industry’s standard of care, and that this breach, more likely than not (51%) caused your child’s brain injury. Wagners is a serious injury law firm with experience in birth trauma negligence cases, and with a reputation for protecting the rights of the seriously injured. Contact us today to book your free consultation. Let us be your voice.
Do You Have a Claim? Call for a free consultation 1-800-465-8794.