Becoming parents is a dream come true for many New York and Pennsylvania residents. As an expectant parent, you hope for a smooth birth process and a healthy baby.
Doctors and medical staff have a legal duty to provide certain standards of care throughout the entire delivery process. Unfortunately, sometimes they fail to meet these standards and birth injuries occur.
There are many different types of birth injuries that your child can suffer both before, during or after birth. Although some birth injuries are immediately apparent and obvious, some children may not show signs of a birth injury until sometime after they are born.
Physical symptoms
Birth injury symptoms come in a wide range of forms. Physical symptoms can include blindness, deafness, numbness or immobility of a body part, seizures or sleepiness.
Developmental delays are another common symptom of a birth injury. If your child is having difficulty learning to do things such as sit up, crawl, walk or talk, this could be a sign of a birth injury.
Intellectual symptoms
Not all birth injury symptoms are physical. Communication issues, learning difficulties or trouble focusing could all be signs of a birth injury. A child who cries more often, or more loudly, than usual could have sustained a birth injury.
It is important to be aware of these birth injury symptoms and remain alert for any of these symptoms in your child. You should seek medical treatment immediately if your child starts showing birth injury symptoms.
Know your rights and options
If your child is diagnosed with a birth injury, you have options. Medical malpractice is an extremely serious matter, as doctors and medical professionals are held to a high standard of care.
Parents of a child who suffered a birth injury can potentially receive compensation for medical bills and treatment costs through a medical malpractice claim. Proving negligence is challenging, so understanding the requirements is vital.