Birth injuries can be serious and lead to long-term developmental and emotional issues down the road for both mother and child. While this is scary, especially to new parents, being informed and doing your research now can help. Learning to advocate for yourself and your child will go a long way in tackling the challenges ahead. To learn more about how a birth injury can impact a child’s development, read on.
Types of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries are more common than people might realize. While some injuries like facial bruising from forceps are short term and have no life-long impact on a child’s life, there are other more serious injuries that can change the course of a child’s overall physical, cognitive, or emotional development. That is, the types of injuries your child sustained could range from minor to life-altering.
Birth injury lawyers regularly handle cases of brachial palsy or facial paralysis due to a variety of reasons or doctor missteps. If you believe you or your child suffered a birth injury that will have long term consequences, do a quick Google search for birth injury attorneys in your area, like birth injury lawyers in Chicago. A good birth injury lawyer will have experience in forecasting future financial needs too. Aligning with people to help now will make things more manageable later on.
Emotional or Milestone Delays
Infants who have survived traumatic births and sustained injuries, as a result, can have long-lasting emotional consequences. Some of these challenges may even be due to added indirect factors. For example, if your child looks different, has limb differences, mobility challenges, or has trouble learning in school, they may experience bullying or issues with self-esteem. Kids who don’t meet traditional life and developmental milestones are more likely to have problems with behaviors, forming social relationships, and confidence too.
If your child is experiencing emotional delays or challenges due to a birth injury, you should consider getting help now. You can find a therapist or health professional who specializes in emotional problems and will understand the connection between a traumatic birth and long-term consequences. For a trusted recommendation, consult with your child’s pediatrician.
In the future, you could be looking into teen residential therapy for your child. Residential centers for teens can provide a compassionate outside framework within which a teen can work through any mental health issues he or she is facing, many of which may originally stem from a birth injury. It’s important to remember that you are not alone and a birth injury lawyer might be able to help with referrals too.
Physical Limitations
Some kids experience permanent disabilities due to birth injuries. Cerebral palsy is a common example of a birth injury that can mean developmental and physical delays or challenges for the course of a lifetime. Caused by an immature brain sustaining damage, most often before birth but sometimes due to premature birth, this neurological condition causes muscle weakness, intellectual delays, and more. Kids with this condition often experience stiff or tight muscles and joints and need assistive devices for walking or other basic movements.
Learning Disabilities
One of the ways children are most often impacted by birth injuries is clearly seen in school. Kids with birth injuries, while they may appear recovered, often have hidden challenges with learning and other disorders. These children can be helped with supports from paraprofessionals and a good IEP plan. This is something a team of professionals will work with you and your child on to help accommodate them in school.
While any birth injury is scary and the long-term impact can be devastating, no one is alone. From doctors and teachers to therapists and birth injury legal specialists, the first step in helping a child or yourself after a birth injury is reaching out. The sooner you learn to advocate for your child, the better the chances you have in minimizing the overall impact their birth injury has on development. Do your research and make those calls now and your child will thank you for it later.
