The number of newborn deaths worldwide reduced to 2.4 million in 2019 from five million in 1990, but children still face a high risk of death during the first 28 days of their lives. According to the World Health Organization, complications such as birth asphyxia and infections are the leading cause of neonatal deaths. When preparing for a baby's arrival, every parent looks forward to a successful delivery process. Unfortunately, there are inherent risks of giving birth that may cause injuries to the newborn. However, in some cases, birth injuries result from carelessness on the part of the doctor and nursing team. As a parent, understanding what steps to take following a medical malpractice that has caused birth injuries can be difficult. To help you provide the best care for your child, below are a few tips for coping if your child has a birth injury.
Consider Grief Treatment
Coping after your child has sustained injuries that may result in disabilities can be stressful. You'll likely experience intense grief and psychological disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Fortunately, you can manage grief and mental health issues by talking to a therapist. Many mental health professionals recommend cognitive behavioral therapy to help you find proactive ways to cope with stress.
Understand Birth Injuries And Causes
Common birth injuries reported among newborns include cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, Erb's palsy, brain injury, and paralysis. These injuries often occur due to prolonged labor, maternal obesity, and prematurity. But sometimes, they may result from the doctor's negligence. Birth trauma linked to malpractice occurs when a doctor fails to notify the mother of known pregnancy complications or performs unsafe C-sections.
Know Your Legal Rights
In a situation where your child has birth injuries because of medical negligence, you owe it to yourself to take legal action against the party responsible. Therefore, consult a lawyer with a high level of expertise handling birth injury cases. Experienced attorneys work hard to ensure you secure the settlement your child deserves. However, you should be cautious when hiring a birth injury attorney to ensure you seek justice for your child. Make sure your potential candidate understands your case. For example, consider finding an erbs palsy lawyer if you have a child with Erb's palsy. You want to be sure your attorney will advocate for your child and obtain compensation for physical therapy, medical equipment, and rehabilitation.
Prioritize Treatment For Your Child
Birth injuries have a significant impact on a child's overall well-being. Fortunately, there are many effective treatment options for birth injuries that will improve your child's health. Depending on the type of birth trauma and severity, your child's doctor might recommend occupational therapy, medication, surgery, physical therapy, and recreational therapy. All these options can help your child lead a better lifestyle. For example, occupational therapy helps kids become independent in their daily routines.
Coping when your child has birth injuries can be difficult, but you can manage by seeking grief treatment and understanding the cause of birth injuries. Developing a treatment plan for your child ensures they lead a healthy lifestyle. You may also want to consult a lawyer to help you seek compensation if your child was injured at birth due to medical malpractice.
The content is intended to augment, not replace, information provided by your clinician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Reading this information does not create or replace a doctor-patient relationship or consultation. If required, please contact your doctor or other health care provider to assist you in interpreting any of this information, or in applying the information to your individual needs.
