Birth Injury Lawyers Philadelphia, PA

Skilled Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Attorneys Handle Birth Injury Cases in Philadelphia, PA

The birth of a child normally brings pride and joy to new parents. When a newborn has been injured in the process of childbirth, it is also a time of great concern for the baby’s well-being. If the child is lost, it is likely to be devastating.

Severe birth injuries bring many expenses, as well as heartaches. Less severe birth injuries are sometimes not apparent until a child starts school and is diagnosed as learning disabled. Parents in these situations may wish to ask a knowledgeable birth injury lawyer to review medical records from the time of the birth to determine whether a hypoxic brain injury or similar type of injury has probably occurred. For more than 25 years, Joseph M. Marrone of the Marrone Law Firm, LLC in Philadelphia has been fighting for the rights of injured people and their infants. We can investigate your child’s birth records, provide you with answers, and get you the compensation you deserve.

Types of Immediately Apparent Birth Injury and Trauma Symptoms for Infants in Pennsylvania

There are many symptoms that a parent may notice right away that could indicate brain damage or a birth injury. Please make sure to consult a doctor before assuming this is the case, however, as many of the below symptoms can indicate other health problems:

Behavioral Symptoms:

  • Arched back while crying
  • Trouble breathing
  • Difficulties with sucking, eating, and swallowing
  • Excessive drooling
  • Excessive aggravated behavior
  • Grunting and/or high-pitched crying
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Lethargy
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Seizures and violent shaking

Not all symptoms are displayed through behavior but instead through health-related issues. Parents should look for a variety of symptoms.

Health-Related Symptoms:

  • Anemia
  • Vision Changes
  • Fever
  • High-frequency hearing loss
  • Dizziness
  • Hypertension or hypotension
  • Inflamed nasal passages
  • Lowered heart rate
  • Low blood-oxygen levels
  • Constant coughing
  • Poor weight gain
  • Constipation
  • Headaches
  • Wheezing
  • Jaundice
  • Paleness and/or wax-like appearance to the skin

In many instances, infants can demonstrate both behavioral and health-related symptoms. There are also muscle and bone symptoms to look out for.

Muscle and Bone Symptoms:

  • Arm and/or hand bent toward the body
  • The hand may curl up and be claw-like
  • Skull fractures
  • Spasms and involuntary shakes
  • Muscle stiffness or looseness
  • Weak body movements
  • Weak or absent reflexes
  • Writhing movements
  • Hairy patch on the back
  • Preferring one side of the body over the other

Most birth trauma and related injuries can lead to serious and permanent complications, including a wide variety of disabilities and disfigurements. The Marrone Law Firm, LLC can help you pursue a birth injury claim for these problems, as well as others including brain damage, eye injuries, facial paralysis, Cerebral Palsy, Erb’s Palsy, Klumpke’s Palsy, cognitive impairment, spinal cord damage, shoulder dislocation, and death.

Birthing Defects and Injuries That Are Not Apparent Until the Child Is 1-2 Years Old

  • Ataxia (not able to fully move all parts of the body)
  • Delay in motor skill development
  • Abnormalities in normal walking behavior
  • Intellectual disabilities (memory, inability connecting actions to consequences, angry and intense tantrums, problem-solving struggles, or slowed logic)
  • Involuntary pulling of the neck
  • Lack of muscle control in certain areas
  • Coordination issues
  • Speech impediments and other issues
  • Difficulties dressing alone, potty training, and grasping spoons to eat

Birth Defects and Injuries That Are Not Apparent Until School Age

Despite the controversy surrounding how Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Asperger’s, and autism affect a child’s development, many experts have suggested that at least 60-80% of children who experience ADD/ADHD symptoms also experienced some form of minor birth trauma. Often, it involves the use of delivery tools and compression of the infant’s head, damaging cranial nerves and preventing important fluids from going to parts of the brain that control emotions and behavior.

The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine states that difficulties during delivery can also be linked to autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. Reduced oxygen supply, neonatal anemia, incompatible blood types, and low birth weights are just some of the factors in the development of autism in infants.

With all this in mind, the four most common birth defects and disabilities not apparent until school age are:

  • Fine Motor Skill issues
  • Asperger’s Syndrome
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Autism

Birth Injury Causes Most Commonly Seen in Philadelphia Hospitals and Medical Care Facilities

Although many birth injuries occur before birth, there are still plenty of instances in which a health care provider’s negligence is the reason for the trauma to the infant. The most common medical malpractice situations we see that lead to birth defects and injuries include:

  • Failure to perform a necessary, timely Cesarean section
  • Failure to recognize signs of fetal distress and respond accordingly
  • Poorly managed labor and delivery process
  • Hypoxia response when infant is deprived of oxygen
  • Poor monitoring of the fetus and its vitals
  • Prenatal neglect of specialized tests and ultrasound as needed
  • Failure to properly hydrate a dehydrated newborn
  • Improper use of birth delivery devices such as forceps or head vacuums

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyer to Discuss Your PA Birth Injury Case

Whether your child’s birth injury was diagnosed shortly after birth or became apparent much later, you are encouraged to discuss legal remedies with a knowledgeable Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC in Philadelphia, PA. Review the facts of your case with a lawyer who can help determine whether you may have recourse to file a birth injury claim or lawsuit.

It is also possible your child’s birth injury is actually a birth defect that was not properly diagnosed during pregnancy. Although they certainly love their children in spite of disabilities, some parents have obtained financial relief in such cases by filing a wrongful birth claim. Mothers can also suffer from birthing and delivery injuries and mistakes, and they may be eligible for compensation. Regardless of the circumstances, let our Philadelphia birth injury attorneys at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC advise you and be your legal support through the complex and emotionally difficult process of your birth injury or birth defect case. Contact us today for a free consultation about your case.