While the majority of doctors provide excellent care, occasionally difficulties arise and during labor and delivery, causing an infant to suffer a birth injury. Although in some situations, a poor outcome may be unavoidable, other times a birth trauma may be the result of a preventable medical error or medical malpractice. For parents facing this difficult situation, it may be nearly impossible to determine the factors that may have resulted in a particular outcome, especially during a time where there may be significant confusion, sadness and grief. If your child has suffered a birth injury, it is critical to talk to a knowledgeable Hawaii birth injury lawyer to help determine your next steps.
Further, while in some situations a birth injury is immediately apparent at birth, other times it may take a year or more until you are fully aware of the extent of an injury. For example, while you may be aware that your infant suffered a lack of oxygen or other trauma during birth, how this affects your child's development may not be known for several years. Symptoms of cerebral palsy, a condition that has been linked to birth trauma and a lack of oxygen to the brain of a newborn, may not show until your child is 2 or 3.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy can include loss of movement or other functions related to the nervous system. It affects brain development and can cause abnormal hearing and eyesight as well as cognitive difficulties such as the ability to think and learn. It may also manifest as uncontrolled movement of the limbs, troubles in being able to walk, abnormal posture and trouble with balance and coordination.
For more information or if you believe that your child may have suffered a birth injury as the result of medical malpractice, please contact our Hawaii birth injury law firm Bostwick & Peterson, LLP for an immediate consultation.
