Although there is no way to reverse the damage, a baby can recover from brain damage due to a lack of oxygen during the birthing process. During recovery, the child will undergo treatment and therapy to help them manage symptoms and overcome as many limitations as possible.
The best way to ensure a baby has a good outcome is to prevent them from ever facing neonatal asphyxia. If the baby does experience oxygen deprivation, a study of more than 1,200 babies published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine shows that hypothermia treatment effectively limits brain injuries and death.
While this treatment helps, many children still suffer from brain injuries and complications related to birth asphyxia. Improving their symptoms and quality of life requires medication, therapies, and other treatments to address their condition.
Each Case Is Unique and So Is the Path to Recovery
Oxygen deprivation affects each child differently. The brain damage they experience and the symptoms it causes are unique to their case. This is why treatment plans are designed on an individual basis to address your child’s specific needs. Some children may experience tremors, for example, while others lack the coordination to swallow. Both struggle to eat on their own, but for dramatically different reasons.
Both concerns may be addressed in their own way, allowing both children to learn to eat normally. In the first case, the child might manage their symptoms with medication. In the second scenario, the child may undergo physical therapy to build muscle and speech therapy to learn to coordinate chewing and swallowing.
However, because each case is unique, there is no way of knowing how your child will respond to treatment or therapy. Some children make great progress, while others remain severely affected by their brain injury.
"If your child was born with a birth injury, or cerebral palsy, we can help."
Therapies Can Help Your Child Adapt to Their Challenges
Many therapies can help a baby recover from brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. While treatment cannot repair the damage to your baby’s brain, prescribed therapies can help children recover abilities and learn new skills, albeit in an adapted way in some cases. Some therapies available to children with brain damage include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Cognitive therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Early intervention
Many everyday tasks necessary for an independent life, education, self-care, and more can be affected by brain damage from birth asphyxia. With the right combination of therapies, as well as other treatments, many children may be able to learn how to overcome challenges to:
- Bathing and toileting
- Self-care
- Speech or alternative communication methods
- Feeding
- Preparing meals
- Housekeeping
- Driving
- Walking
In some cases, children also seem to recover because their symptoms affect them differently as they age. A child with a developmental delay may not struggle with reading and writing as an adult, or a behavioral concern may become less noticeable.
Your Child’s Brain Damage May Support a Medical Malpractice Case
If you pursue a medical malpractice birth injury case based on your child’s brain damage, you may be able to secure a wide range of damages that can help your child get the care and support they need without encountering financial stress and anxiety. This could include:
- Your current medical bills related to your child’s injury, diagnosis, and early treatment
- Their future medical care needs and ongoing care costs
- Time you missed from work while providing care for your child
- Expenses related to mobility or adaptive equipment
- Related out-of-pocket expenses
- Intangible losses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Mental anguish
Proving a medical malpractice case relies on certain types of evidence that may be difficult for a judge and jury–and even you and your attorney–to understand. For that reason, most states require an expert who can come in and explain how medical malpractice occurred, how medical negligence caused your child’s birth injuries, how this led to their diagnosis, and even details about their prognosis and care.
If your attorney believes they can recover compensation for your family based on your child’s birth injury, they will accept your case based on contingent fees. You will not need to pay them for representing you out of pocket. Instead, they will receive their payment from the damages they recover for your family.
"We know first-hand what you are going through."
Talk to a Member of Our Team About Your Family’s Legal Options Today
You can get help today by speaking to a Birth Injury Lawyers Group team member about your child’s birth injury. We will evaluate the facts of your family’s case and determine if we think you have a medical malpractice case against the doctor, hospital, or another liable party.
We provide complimentary consultations to the families of birth asphyxia victims. You can learn more right away by calling (800) 222-9529.
"We are committed to helping families who have suffered medical negligence."