Brain damage is among the most serious birth injuries a baby can suffer. It can be caused by head trauma during the delivery process due to oxygen deprivation and decreased blood flow to the baby’s brain.
Brain trauma can affect a child’s ability to grow and develop normally, impacting their entire life.
A new study has found that children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have longer reaction times and more attention lapses than kids who experience trauma to other parts of the body. The findings not only indicate attention lapses in children who have sustained a TBI, but also that such lapses are linked to intelligence problems.
Marsh Konigs of VU University Amsterdam in The Netherlands led a team that compared 113 children who had suffered a TBI, ranging in age from six to 13, with 53 kids who sustained a non-head injury. Those in the TBI group had slower average reaction times than the kids in the other trauma group. The researchers also found that the kids with severe TBI had lower IQ test scores and more attention lapses than those with mild TBI.
Konigs said the consequences of TBI vary between children, depending on the severity of the injury and other factors. A brain trauma during delivery is rare and can be the result of medical negligence such as the improper use of delivery tools or a delayed cesarean section.
It is important to note that determining fault can be more complicated than it might seem. If your child was injured and you believe someone else is fully or partially to blame, contact Chalik & Chalik to learn more about your rights.
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