What Are the Symptoms of Infant Brain Damage?

When an older child or an adult suffers a brain injury , family, friends, and medical professionals often quickly notice the accompanying symptoms including changes in mood, personality, and behavior. In an infant, identifying the presence of brain damage is more difficult. A baby cannot express feelings through words and has not yet developed precise motor skills. Understanding the signs and symptoms of infant brain damage could save a baby’s life and improve the developmental process later.

Infant brain damage can happen before birth, during labor, or after delivery. Acts of medical malpractice include a preventable loss of oxygen in the womb or compression in the birth canal. Brain damage can also arise from blunt force trauma in car accidents or during a fall. In incredibly sad cases, it may also arise from abuse involving shaking a baby’s head back and forth (shaken baby syndrome) or throwing a baby.

These incidents can lead to a variety of brain injuries including neuropathy, hearing loss, musculoskeletal related palsies, blindness, learning difficulties, paralysis, mood and behavior problems, and death. Early diagnosis is often key in treating brain injuries in infants.

Unless a parent witnessed a traumatic event, he or she may not understand the symptoms manifesting in a newborn or baby. Even identifying acts of malpractice may take some time. Look for the following symptoms in the days and weeks after birth that may indicate a birth injury:

After the initial weeks and months after birth, symptoms may manifest differently. Depending on the area of the brain damaged, a child may struggle with developmental milestones a pediatrician outlines. Difficulties with eye-hand coordination, sitting up, crawling, learning words, and identifying shapes may all indicate some level of cognitive or physical impairment.

As a baby grows, brain damage may also appear in the form of a heightened or decreased sensitivity to pain, balance difficulties, excessive fatigue, light sensitivity, or sleeping disorders. Anything that seems to counter a mother’s tuition or a pediatrician’s evaluation may indicate a potential brain abnormality. The list of symptoms changes as a child ages through those first formative years.

If you notice your infant can’t focus on your face, does not show interest in light and colors, or cannot complete basic tasks long after he or she should have reached the milestone, discuss possible explanations with your pediatrician. Some children are simply late bloomers, while others may suffer from a more serious condition. Keep a list of the actions or non-actions that concern you as a parent and discuss them in detail at all checkups to ensure your baby develops properly.

The only way to know for sure if an infant suffers from brain damage is to conduct a brain scan and watch carefully for abnormal development symptoms. An MRI or CT scan will show bleeding, pressure, and fractures affecting the skull and brain. Other tests may measure the electrical impulses indicating normal brain functioning. Specialists know exactly what to look for in infants of varying ages.

If, as a parent, you feel that something is not right, pursue your gut feeling. At best, testing will alleviate your concerns. At worst, you will have a better understanding of what your child faces. Depending on the type of injury, physicians may use therapy, surgery, or other treatments to minimize the consequences of the brain injury.

If your baby suffers a brain injury and you suspect malpractice, abuse, or negligence, you may want to discuss your legal options with a personal injury attorney. A preventable injury can rob a child of a bright future. A legal claim often plays an important role in seeking justice and obtaining financial support for treatment, rehabilitation, and maintenance.

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