Infant Brain Damage Symptoms

When you’re a new parent, there’s a lot to think about: diaper changes, midnight feedings, and figuring out how to survive on three hours of sleep. But one thing no parent wants to worry about is infant brain damage.

It’s a scary thought, but understanding infant brain damage symptoms will help you get the right care if something’s off. 

Whether you’re a parent-to-be or already knee-deep in parenting duties, we’ve got you covered with this guide on the immediate and delayed signs, how it’s diagnosed, and what causes it. Let’s dive in.

Immediate Symptoms of Infant Brain Damage

Brain damage only happens to about 3 in 1,000 babies born. So most parents won’t see any symptoms of infant brain damage in their babies. 

But here are some immediate symptoms that do appear in affected babies:

• Very floppy or limp
• Stiff muscles 
• Doesn’t have normal reflexes, like turning their head when you stroke their cheek
• Seizures
• Unusual eye rolling
• Subtle jerking movements
• Brief pauses in breathing
• Struggling to nurse or take a bottle
• Unusually fussy or difficult to soothe

While these infant brain damage symptoms are sometimes spotted right away, it’s not always that obvious. That’s where delayed symptoms come in.

Delayed Symptoms of Infant Brain Damage

Some signs don’t become apparent until a baby misses developmental milestones or starts behaving in unusual ways as they grow. 

Here’s what to keep an eye on as your child gets older:

Developmental Delays

Babies usually hit milestones like rolling over, sitting up, and walking at certain stages. If your baby seems behind schedule, it could be a sign of brain damage. For example, if your child isn’t sitting up by 9 months or walking by 18 months, it’s time to talk to your pediatrician.

Speech Problems

Babies start babbling and forming simple words as early as 12 months. If your baby isn’t making any attempt to communicate, that could be a sign of a brain injury.

Coordination and Balance Issues

As toddlers begin to walk, run, and play, balance and coordination problems can show up. Does your child trip, fall, or struggle with fine motor skills (like picking up small objects)? These could be delayed infant brain damage symptoms.

Behavioral Problems

Sometimes brain damage affects a child’s mood or behavior. If your child shows signs of impulsiveness, extreme irritability, or difficulty following instructions as they get older, brain damage could be a contributing factor.

Difficulty Learning

Starting preschool or kindergarten can reveal hidden infant brain damage symptoms. A child with a brain injury might struggle with tasks like recognizing letters or numbers, focusing, or solving simple problems.

How Is Infant Brain Damage Diagnosed?

Please note that this article isn’t meant as medical advice. You shouldn’t try to diagnose your baby yourself. It’s best to bring your concerns to your child’s pediatrician.

If you notice infant brain damage symptoms, the next step is to get an official diagnosis. This usually involves a combination of medical history, physical exams, and diagnostic tests. 

Here’s what doctors might do to find out if brain damage is present:

• Perform a physical exam to check for abnormal reflexes, issues with muscle tone, and developmental delays
• Order imaging tests like an MRI or CT scan to get a detailed look at the brain. These tests can show bleeding, swelling, or abnormal brain structures.
• Recommend routine developmental screenings as your child grows. If no infant brain damage symptoms are obvious, but your doctor thinks a brain injury is still a possibility, they might order consistent tests to assess your child’s motor skills, communication abilities, and cognitive development.

What Causes Infant Brain Damage?

Infant brain damage symptoms can show up for many reasons. Understanding the cause can help with treatment and prevention. Here are some common culprits:

• Oxygen deprivation 
• Physical trauma, like a head injury
• Infections in the mother during pregnancy
• Severe jaundice that turns into kernicterus, a condition that causes brain damage in newborns

One of the leading causes of brain damage is lack of oxygen during labor or delivery. This can happen if the baby’s umbilical cord gets wrapped around the neck, or if there’s a problem with the placenta.

Treatment for Infant Brain Damage

There’s no cure for infant brain damage. But some children make a complete (or almost complete) recovery thanks to the right treatment. Others end up with lifelong conditions, such as:

• Cerebral palsy
• Seizure disorders
• Learning disabilities
• Hearing or vision problems
• Developmental delays
• Behavioral issues
• Speech and language difficulties

How a child fares depends on what part of the brain was injured, and how severe the damage is. Also, getting treatment right after birth can improve a baby’s prognosis. 

Treatment for infant brain damage symptoms includes:

• Cooling treatment, which lowers a baby’s temperature to slow brain damage after birth
• Physical therapy to improve muscle tone, strength, and coordination
• Speech therapy to help them learn to express themselves
• Occupational therapy to develop fine motor skills and perform daily activities
• Medications to manage seizures or behavioral issues

Medical Malpractice Can Lead to Infant Brain Damage

If you notice infant brain damage symptoms, you might want to find out if medical malpractice is to blame. 

In some cases, brain damage can result from medical negligence. Let’s say the healthcare team fails to monitor the baby’s heart rate during labor. They might miss signs of fetal distress that indicate the baby isn’t getting enough oxygen. 

A delayed response to these signs can lead to an infant brain injury. Sometimes babies need an emergency C-section, but doctors don’t order one in time.  

Other forms of negligence include improper use of delivery tools like forceps or a vacuum extractor. This can cause physical trauma to the baby’s head and lead to a brain injury.

Also, failure to treat conditions like jaundice, infections, or maternal health issues during pregnancy can also contribute to brain damage.

Obtaining Compensation for Infant Brain Damage

When doctors, nurses, or other healthcare providers don’t follow proper protocols, that’s negligence. Avoidable mistakes can have long-lasting effects on the baby’s brain development. Many children end up with lasting medical conditions that are extremely costly to treat.

So, if you notice infant brain damage symptoms after birth, you might consider calling a birth injury attorney. This type of lawyer can help you get compensation to pay for your child’s treatment. 

In order to do this, your attorney will look over your child’s medical records and pinpoint where and when things went wrong. Perhaps your doctor ignored infant brain damage symptoms, and your child’s condition worsened because they didn’t get treatment for a long time. 

Or, maybe there was a failure to monitor the baby’s oxygen levels during labor, leading to brain damage that could have been prevented with quicker action.

Your attorney will gather evidence to show that these actions, or lack of action, directly contributed to your child’s brain damage. Holding the healthcare providers accountable can help ensure your child gets the support they need moving forward.

Filing a lawsuit to hold doctors responsible is a monumental task—it’s not something you should undertake on your own.  Our legal team is more than prepared to help you. Let us use our 60+ years of experience to your benefit. Set up your free consultation here.