Yes. After a brain hemorrhage, the majority of full-term newborns do well. The extent of the bleeding and the area of the brain that was harmed will determine whether your infant experiences long-term issues.
Unfortunately, there are a number of conditions that could manifest in infants who experienced significant bleeding from inadequate medical attention. Some babies even run the risk of needing surgery to relieve the pressure that a brain hemorrhage puts on the brain.
Our birth injury law practice focuses on being a resource to families of those who suffer these kinds of avoidable but profoundly altering injuries. In this article, find out more about how frequently babies recover from brain bleeds, their causes, and how you might be able to get financial assistance for their long-term impacts.
- Are Brain Bleeds Common in Newborns?
- My Newborn Suffered a Brain Bleed, Who Can I Sue?
- What Are the Common Symptoms in Babies That Experience a Brain Hemorrhage?
- Will a Brain Bleed Affect My Baby Long-Term?
- How Much Money Am I Entitled To If My Baby Never Recovers From a Brain Bleed?
- What Proof Is Necessary To File a Claim Over My Newborn’s Brain Bleed?
Are Brain Bleeds Common in Newborns?
A baby born at full term may occasionally experience a brain bleed, known as a brain hemorrhage, either during labor or shortly after delivery. Subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhages are the two most typical types of brain hemorrhages that can occur in full-term infants.
Sometimes it is impossible to determine what causes the brain to bleed. It can be a result of the natural forces acting on the head of your baby during vaginal birth. Some elements that could raise the risk include:
- Breech delivery, in which your child emerges bottom first and requires forceps or ventouse (suction) assistance
- Your child has a condition that increases their risk of bleeding, such as hemophilia.
Neonatal brain bleeds may be a common childbirth injury but the liability isn’t always due to natural causes. A medical malpractice attorney can investigate a hospital’s delivery records to ensure no foul play was to blame for your baby’s injury.
"If your child was born with a birth injury, or cerebral palsy, we can help."
If My Newborn Suffered a Brain Bleed, Who Can I Sue?
For a neonatal brain hemorrhage, you might file lawsuits against several parties. In the end, who you and your birth injury attorney decide to sue depends on the particular events that caused your newborn’s brain hemorrhage.
If your baby did not fully recover from a brain bleed, potential defendants in your lawsuit include the doctor, nurse, or medical staff member that was involved with your labor and delivery. You may also sue the hospital for negligence or if an unsafe condition contributed to your child’s injury.
What Are the Common Symptoms in Babies that Experience a Brain Hemorrhage?
Most full-term infants who have brain hemorrhages don’t exhibit any symptoms. If your baby does exhibit symptoms, they can start to show up on the second or third day following delivery. Symptoms include:
- Breathing stops (apnoea)
- Decreased levels of alertness
- Seizures
- Decreased heart rate
- Exhibiting floppy or limp composure
If you notice these symptoms, ensure that you keep additional records of how the doctors or staff reacted, and the treatment plan introduced. If medical negligence was to blame, such details will solidify the facts of your claim.
"We know first-hand what you are going through."
Will a Brain Bleed Affect My Baby Long-Term?
Brain hemorrhage in newborns that don’t fully recover can cause cerebral palsy, a disorder that impairs coordination, posture, and movement. Early in life, some children may struggle with learning, communication, and behavioral issues. Some infants may later develop the seizure-causing condition epilepsy.
For infants that demonstrate long-term issues, it is worth speaking with a birth injury lawyer to determine if financial compensation is possible. A standard duty of care is owed by the hospital and the staff it employs so if negligence played a role, you may be eligible.
"Our Birth Injury Lawyers have recovered over $750+ Million on behalf of our clients."
How Much Money Am I Entitled to if My Baby Never Recovers from a Brain Bleed?
Realizing your child may never recover from a brain bleed and may have a difficult life ahead is traumatizing and you may be awarded non-economic damages for the emotional anguish or mental illness caused by this tragic misfortune. Families whose children develop conditions from their brain bleed injury may collect compensation for:
- Extra for academic accommodations
- Employing full- or part-time caretakers
- Altering their professional ambitions in order to take care of their child
- Emotional pain
- Medical bills and equipment costs
Anyone who is accountable for your child’s bleeding may have to contribute to covering the expenses you and your child have incurred. They can also be responsible for your foreseeable income losses.
What Proof Is Necessary to File a Claim Over My Newborn’s Brain Bleed?
A lawyer can advise you on what proof you might need to submit regarding your baby experiencing complications from a brain bleed. Since the nature of the evidence might vary from one case to the next, there is no set type or quantity required to support your claim.
There is a legal process for exposing liability if a medical mistake led to your newborn’s brain bleeding complication. Your attorney might need to:
- Prove that you and the doctor who is responsible for your child’s injuries had a doctor-patient connection.
- Show that the doctor had a duty of care to both you and your child.
- substantiate that the medical provider’s carelessness caused your child’s brain hemorrhage.
- Show that the medical professional’s negligence caused your child, and possibly you, to incur losses.
Contact an Attorney for Help
An attorney will go the extra mile to ensure that your family is compensated fairly. If necessary, your lawyer can hire medical experts to provide witness testimony that validates the facts that reasonable precautions were not taken to protect your baby.
"We are committed to helping families who have suffered medical negligence."