Symptoms of a birth injury can present immediately after the birth or in the first years of life. A variety of symptoms exist to indicate a birth injury to the brain. The symptoms that may indicate a brain injury immediately following the child’s birth include:

• Seizures
  • Seizures are defined as sudden, uncontrolled, electrical disturbances in the brain. Seizures can cause abrupt changes to behavior, movement, mood, or consciousness.
• Skull fractures
  • Skull fractures that do not heal can be the sign of a birth injury that may need further treatment.
• Difficulty eating or swallowing
  • Infants who have difficulty eating or swallowing may have suffered a birth injury that affects their mental capacity or coordination.
• Arching of the back while crying
  • Infants who arch their back in extreme or violent manners may have suffered a birth injury. This could indicate the need for further examination by a medical professional.
• High-pitched crying
  • While all infants cry, some high-pitched cries can indicate the presence of a birth injury which may be causing additional issues. 
• High levels of fussiness or grunting
  • Infants can be fussy and will vocalize when they need something. An infant who vocalizes or fusses while there is no apparent issue may be injured by a birth injury or other condition that is causing constant pain or discomfort.
• Low oxygen levels
  • An infant who has suffered a birth injury may have issues sufficiently oxygenating their organs. 
• Lower heart rate than normal
  • Similar to low oxygen levels, a lowered heart rate may indicate an injury suffered during development, but is also possible to have occured in the birthing process.
• Photosensitivity
  • Infants who display tendencies of photosensitivity may have suffered injuries to their eyes. These injuries may have been incurred at birth.
• Excessive drooling
  • Infants do drool, but if this drooling becomes excessive, it could be the signs of a more intense injury suffered during birth.
• Curling of the hands without closing them completely
  • Infants often explore their surroundings by gripping objects around them. If an infant curls their fingers but seems incapable of forming a fist, this may be a sign of nerve damage.
• Delayed, weak, or absent reflexes
  • Reflexes are some of the most basic nervous impulses. If an infant lacks these impulses, they may have suffered a birth injury that damaged the nervous system.
• Muscle rigidity or muscle looseness
  • If an infant’s muscles are either too tense or too loose, they may have suffered some nervous damage that prevents them from properly regulating their muscle tone.
• Weakness or paralysis of the arm
  • A weak or paralyzed muscular response can be another sign of nervous damage.

Not all birth injuries are apparent right away. Some can show up months or even years later. If the child doesn’t present with any of these symptoms, they still may have suffered a birth injury if they present with the following symptoms between the ages of 1 and 2:

• Ataxia
  • The loss of control of bodily movements, Ataxia can be a sign of a birth injury that has gone untreated. 
• Trouble balancing
  • Lack of balance also demonstrates potential nervous damage.
• Trouble moving
  • Infants who have difficulty moving may be demonstrating signs of nervous damage.
• Low memory retention
  • Infants and toddlers who genuinely lack memory retention are likely suffering some kind of nervous or brain damage.
• Involuntary flexing or pulling of the neck
  • Infants that unconsciously flex or pull the neck may be a sign of lack of muscle control and nervous damage.
• Spastic muscle control
  • Lack of muscle control can be a sign of nervous damage.
• Delayed or absent speech abilities
  • An infant whose speech abilities are delayed or absent may be suffering from brain damage or some other neurological complication.
• Inability to crawl, sit, stand, or walk independently
  • Delayed or absent motor skills can be a dire warning sign of neurological damage.
• Difficulty eating, grasping items and the inability to move small items from one hand to the other
  • Lack of motor skills and inability to adequately move objects with sufficient dexterity can demonstrate a neurological deficit that may be caused by a birth defect.

These symptoms can worsen and beyond the age of two symptoms to include blindness, deafness, muteness, developmental disabilities, and more. 

If you or a loved one have an infant who may have received a birth injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation.