As a parent, you know your baby better than anyone. If something feels wrong in those first few days or weeks after delivery, listen to that instinct. While some birth injuries are immediately apparent, others unfold gradually as a baby grows. Recognizing early indicators can help you seek the medical attention your baby needs and understand whether something went wrong during labor or delivery.
What are the symptoms you need to look out for?
While the physical process of labor and delivery itself can cause injuries, certain situations increase the risk. Difficult deliveries, particularly those involving larger babies, unusual positioning or the need for forceps or vacuum assistance, are more likely to result in birth injuries.
If you or your partner had a difficult delivery, it’s crucial to observe your baby for any unusual or concerning physical symptoms. This can include:
- Unusual muscle tone: Arms or legs that seem extremely floppy or unusually stiff
- Feeding difficulties: Problems nursing or taking a bottle, weak sucking or trouble swallowing
- Extreme behavior: Excessive, inconsolable crying or unusual lethargy and sleepiness
- Neurological symptoms: Seizures, tremor-like movements or arching of the back
- Arm weakness: One arm that does not move normally or hangs limp, which can indicate possible nerve damage
- Breathing problems: Labored breathing, grunting or periods of stopped breathing
- Head shape or appearance: Significant swelling, unusual bruising or abnormal shape beyond typical molding
These signs do not always mean an injury occurred. However, it is better to err on the side of caution and have your baby checked by a doctor. Seizures or extreme lethargy may signal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE), a brain injury from lack of oxygen during delivery. Unusual muscle tone can be an early sign of cerebral palsy, which can also result from oxygen deprivation.
When to question what happened during delivery
If your baby shows any of the issues above, it is natural to wonder why. While some birth injuries happen despite proper care, others result from preventable mistakes. Medical negligence can include:
- Failure to act on abnormal fetal heart rate patterns or other distress signals
- Delaying a needed C-section when labor is not progressing
- Using forceps or vacuum extractors improperly
If your delivery involved any of these situations and your baby now shows concerning symptoms, the care provided may have fallen below acceptable standards.
Trust your instincts
Catching these warning signs early can help your baby get the right treatment. If questions linger about whether mistakes were made during delivery, you deserve answers. Consider seeking advice from an attorney experienced in birth injury cases. They can help you understand your options for seeking the resources your child may need.