When parents welcome a new child into the world and face the scary situation of their newborn suffering from a deprivation of oxygen during the birthing process, many questions arise as to how this happened and what long term consequences will occur.

Birth injury cases have a lot of different fact patterns, but the most common being lack of sufficient oxygen during the birthing process. This can result in a serious birth injury. How this happens is usually the first question. It may be due to excessive Pitocin (a drug to induce labor), the umbilical cord getting wrapped about the baby’s neck, conditions like placenta previa, or the use of forceps or a vacuum.

The next question concerns the immediate and long term consequences of the newborn suffering from a birth trauma that results in oxygen deprivation. Sometimes the symptoms do not present themselves for months or years as the child approaches certain milestones and falls short.

Some symptoms to notice immediately include:

– noticeable marks on the skin that indicate the umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck or marks left by forceps or vacuums

– limp arm or leg

-facial paralysis

-respiratory issues

– tremors

Some symptoms to watch for as the child ages include:

– delays in sitting up, standing, crawling, walking

– hearing impairment

– blindness (full or partial)

-speech or feeding issues

If you think your child suffered a birth injury, contact AJ Law Practice for a consultation.