When your baby suffers a birth injury because of hospital or doctor negligence during labor and delivery, it’s helpful to recognize some of the signs or symptoms they may experience. However, some symptoms take much longer to manifest, so it always helps to continue to seek medical care to obtain a proper diagnosis. While much of the immediate medical care provided to diagnose and treat birth injuries is non-specific and provided in the diagnosis and treatment of other conditions, if you have reason to suspect a birth injury has occurred, it is helpful to be familiar with the types of immediate care frequently seen in the birth injury context.
Below, we’ll explain some of the signs that you can look for immediately after birth and some that you may not experience until your child is older.
Signs at Birth
Immediate signs of a birth injury can include:
- Immediate need for breathing assistance or cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Initiation of a hypothermia or whole body cooling upon transfer to the NICU
- Low Apgar scores
- Body stiffness or loose limbs because of muscle tone problems
- Seizures
It may be difficult to determine if the injuries your baby suffered occurred because of negligence or lack of monitoring during labor and delivery. However, you should be sure to speak with a lawyer about your rights and how to get the evidence you need.
Signs Later In Development
In many cases, your baby won’t display symptoms of a birth injury until months later. For instance, if your baby experiences cerebral palsy, you typically won’t know until they reach specific developmental milestones. You should be careful to track your baby’s progress as they get older. If they miss milestones or exhibit muscle tone problems, you should be sure to have a doctor diagnose them.
At Maloney Law Group, P.L.L.C., we know how challenging it is to have your baby experience damage because of negligence. Our firm stands by your side every step of the way to seek compensation when you need it most. If your baby experiences harm, you can trust our San Antonio birth injury lawyers about your rights. We’re ready to stand in your corner and hold negligent parties accountable.