Healthcare negligence can cause eating and swallowing disorders in infants and newborns. These disorders may be classified as dysphagia. Dysphagia is a possible symptom of cerebral palsy and other conditions that may be caused by medical negligence.
If you suspect your child has an eating or swallowing disorder, you should have them examined by a doctor immediately. If your doctor diagnoses them with a condition, you may want to investigate your medical history to see if healthcare negligence caused or contributed to your child’s injury. If so, you may be able to recover compensation from the responsible party in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
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Understanding Dysphagia
Dysphagia can result from motor control issues that make it difficult to eat. Dysphagia can cause food or liquids to get into the lungs and can lead to other issues, such as choking.
Common causes of dysphagia may include:
- Brain injuries, including cerebral palsy
- Mouth damage or cleft palate
- Stomach issues
- Lung or heart issues
- Issues with the head or neck
- And more
While some of the conditions that cause dysphagia are naturally occurring or are otherwise unpreventable, others may be the result of healthcare negligence.
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Signs of Dysphagia
There are many signs and symptoms of dysphagia in babies, including:
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing during feeding
- Coughing or choking
- Taking a long time to eat
- Excessive congestion during or soon after feeding
- Difficulty chewing
- Pneumonia
- Has a hard time gaining weight
- Fussiness with certain foods or liquids
If you recognize any of these symptoms in your child, have them evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. Dysphagia can have harmful repercussions if left untreated. A baby or young child may inadvertently inhale food or liquid into their lungs because of dysphagia. Over the long term, dysphagia can lead to dehydration and nutrition problems.
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How Healthcare Negligence Can Cause an Eating and Swallowing Disorder
Healthcare negligence can injure a child and cause a condition that results in an eating or swallowing disorder. Such an injury may occur during prenatal care, delivery, or after the child’s birth. Examples of how this may occur include:
- A doctor failing to screen the mother for a complex delivery when there was still time to take safety measures, such as ordering a cesarean section (C-section) delivery
- Medical personal failing to identify and treat an infection in the infant or pregnant mother
- Injuring the baby’s brain with excessive force or pressure, either manually or through the improper use of forceps or a vacuum extraction device
- Allowing the baby’s oxygen to be cut off during delivery
- And more
Any time a doctor or medical personal behaves in a negligent manner and harms a patient, their actions—or inactions—may qualify as medical malpractice.
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Medical Malpractice Cases
If your child was injured by an act of healthcare negligence, you may be able to recover compensation in a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit.
This may involve building an evidence-based case against the liable party. Some states require plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases to produce testimony from a medical expert that the care they received fell below a reasonable medical standard, and that another doctor in the same situation would have acted differently.
In a successful medical malpractice case, plaintiffs may be able to recover compensation for their damages. Depending on the nature of the child’s injuries and other factors, recoverable damages may include:
- The child’s costs of treatment, both current and future
- Lost wages for either parent, if applicable
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Mental anguish
- And more
The Birth Injury Lawyers Group Can Help You
The Birth Injury Lawyers Group represents families in medical malpractice cases nationwide. When you work a lawyer from our firm on your case, we can:
- Answer your questions, help you understand applicable laws and possible outcomes, and design a legal strategy for your case
- Communicate with all involved parties on your behalf
- Investigate your case, gather evidence, and hire medical experts to testify in your defense as needed
- Assign a value to your damages
- Negotiate with the responsible party’s insurance company
- Bring your case to trial, if necessary
If you believe that healthcare negligence caused your child’s eating and swallowing disorder, or a related condition, call please contact the Birth Injury Lawyers Group today at (800) 222-9529. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to prospective clients. We also offer representation on a contingency-fee basis with no up-front payment required.
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