What Florida parents should know about head trauma in newborns

There are few life events as exciting and joyful as having a baby. When you begin receiving health care and monitoring early in a pregnancy, you probably expect everything to go well during labor and delivery.

Unfortunately, many Florida parents have learned the hard way that infant birth injuries can occur despite your and your doctor’s best early efforts. Head injuries in newborns are of particular concern as they can cause lifelong problems if medical providers fail to respond properly.

Three types of head trauma in infants

When birth injuries occur within a newborn’s skull, they can result in significant bleeding (intracranial hemorrhaging). If left untreated, brain bleeding can be severe enough to result in substantial financial hardships. Below are three types of hemorrhages:

1. Epidural hemorrhage. Although rare, this injury often requires neurosurgical intervention to prevent worsening the damage. Such an injury may arise in an operative vaginal delivery, which includes the use of forceps or a vacuum. If the medical team misused such equipment or failed to address the injury, you may have a medical malpractice claim.
2. Intraventricular hemorrhage. Severe cases are uncommon, but if they do occur, long-term brain injury in infants may arise. Although it is not clear how intraventricular hemorrhages occur, doctors must address the baby’s condition early to avoid complications. Failure to do so may indicate medical malpractice.
3. Subdural hemorrhage. The most common head injury in newborns, these hemorrhages cause a dangerous increase of pressure in the skull. Depending upon its severity, surgical evacuation of the blood may be necessary.

The medical costs of treating an intracranial head injury can overwhelm new parents quickly. However, if medical malpractice caused the injury, parents may seek financial compensation for their newborn’s harm. Consider learning more about medical malpractice and birth injuries.