Seeing your baby suffer a seizure can be a terrifying experience for a parent. Once the initial shock has worn off and your child has returned to normal, you will probably begin wondering why the seizure happened in the first place. Unfortunately, seizures may be caused by a birth injury.
What is a Birth Injury?
When a child suffers a physical trauma as a result of being born, they are said to have received a birth injury. Because the baby’s head and brain are not fully developed during birth, even the slightest complication can have long-lasting effects. Birth injuries are often caused by the following conditions:
- Prolonged labor
- Large babies
- Premature birth
- Difficult labor
- Abnormal delivery (such as breech position delivery)
Not all births under these conditions will result in an injury. However, if one of the listed elements played a role in your child’s delivery, there is an increased chance that they suffered birth trauma.
What Types of Birth Injuries Might Cause Seizures?
There is a wide variety of injuries that a child can sustain during birth. However, not all of them will cause seizures. A few of the most common seizure-inducing injuries your child can receive during birth include:
- Oxygen deprivation (or asphyxia)
- Infections in the brain
- Neonatal encephalopathy (also known as Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy)
Of course, the only way to know for sure what might be causing your baby’s seizures is to bring to a medical professional for a diagnosis.
How Will Your Doctor Diagnose Your Baby’s Injury?
When you bring your child to your physician to discuss their seizures, they will most likely want to run a series of tests to better understand what might be causing the issue. Though each case will be different, these tests generally include:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
It is also vital that you let your doctor know about any abnormal behaviors that your baby has been exhibiting. This is especially true if your child has been displaying any of the following issues:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty eating
- Unusual muscle spasms
- Slow or lethargic movement
- Low Apgar scores
Your doctor will then review the scans, compare it with the baby’s other medical issues, come to a diagnosis, and (if necessary) discuss any treatment options that may be available.
What Steps Should You Take Next?
For the sake of your baby’s future health, you have already taken the correct first step – having them diagnosed. Your next step will largely depend on the diagnosis you receive. In some cases, all that is left to do is continue following your child’s treatment plan and help them grow up to be happy and healthy.
However, if your baby’s brain injury was preventable or caused by negligence, you may be eligible for compensation. The proceeds from such a financial award could help to cover the expenses you have incurred and will continue to incur as a result of the injury. The best way to know for sure if you have a case is to speak with an experienced birth injury lawyer.
How Can a Birth Injury Attorney Help You?
Once you have explained your baby’s situation to a lawyer, they should be able to tell you fairly quickly if you have a case. From there, the attorney will be able to handle just about every element of the case on your behalf, including:
- Obtaining necessary medical records
- Preparing paperwork
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Providing guidance on settlement offers
- Preparing for a court case (if necessary)
If handled alone, a birth injury case can be very complicated and time-consuming – particularly when you are trying to raise a baby at the same time. With the help of an experienced attorney, you will be able to claim the compensation you deserve without needing to spend too much time away from your child.
Contact Doehrman Buba Ring Today
The birth injury lawyers here at Doehrman Buba Ring have more than 50 years of combined experience in the field. We have helped hundreds of clients in Indiana and across the nation to claim the compensation that is rightfully theirs. If you would like us to help you too, please do not hesitate to contact us online or give us a call at (317) 844-9999.