Developmental Delays & Birth Injuries

If someone falls down, is bitten by a dog, or has been in a car accident, they will likely have some kind of physical marks on their body because of it, such as a scar, a cut, or a bruising. However, injuries caused by birth trauma can be different. While some cases of birth injuries involve physical trauma and injuries that can be seen right away, that simply isn’t always the case. For example, if a child experiences a lack of oxygen during delivery, it could potentially cause an injury that causes developmental delays that don’t become evident until months or even years later.

As children grow and develop, they’re expected to hit certain developmental milestones at certain times. For example, many babies start speaking with full words between 12 and 18 months and begin crawling anytime between 6 and 10 months. But if a child experienced an injury around the time they were born, developmental delays could be a symptom of that injury. Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) and cerebral palsy are two conditions which can involve developmental delays. Since these injuries affect the brain, they can potentially affect speech development or muscle control. Or in a case of Erb’s palsy, which is a condition that affects nerves, a child might have limited mobility in the shoulder or arm. 

While meeting developmental milestones indicates that a child is growing and developing as expected, it’s important to understand that meeting some milestones later than expected isn’t necessarily a telltale sign that they experienced an injury around the time they were born. Children don’t always hit their developmental milestones like clockwork, even if they’re perfectly healthy, and it’s very common for children to meet some milestones earlier or later than other children. If you have concerns about how your child is meeting their milestones, it’s important to have them professionally examined to determine whether or not a delay is normal or if there is cause for concern.

Contact a Michigan Birth Trauma Lawyer

Even if you don’t begin to suspect your child experienced a birth injury until they are a few years old, you may still have legal options. Contact a birth injury lawyer for help as soon as possible. At Scott Goodwin Law, we’ve helped other families that have been in your position and we understand how important it is to find out what went wrong so that you can get the justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation where you can get answers to your questions and learn more about your legal options.