Every year, children all over the country, many right here in Oregon, are born with brain damage due to receiving an inadequate amount of oxygen during the labor and delivery process. There are many reasons why this happens. In some cases, medical negligence is to blame. No matter the reason, though, the sooner brain damage is detected, the better off these children will be.
It has long been acknowledged that the sooner children with brain injuries start receiving treatment and therapy for those injuries, the better their prognosis is expected to be. Unfortunately, these injuries often go undiagnosed for months or years after birth. Parents and medical providers don’t see the signs of brain injury until children are supposed to meet certain growth milestones but don’t or are not quite where they should be.
Studies on early brain injury detection are finding that specific blood tests completed soon after a child is born may detect brain injuries in just a matter of hours. Researchers took blood samples from numerous children born oxygen-deprived and found that certain genes were essentially switched on in their bodies, making them prone to developing long-term neurological issues. By discovering this information early, treatment plans can be created and put into practice to help lessen the effects of the injury or even prevent it from causing permanent damage. It is amazing science that will hopefully be perfected and used all over the world soon.
While this particular science may not currently be available to medical providers in the state of Oregon yet, early detection of birth-related brain injuries is still possible and vitally important. Some of these injuries are easily noted immediately after birth, but many still go undetected for quite some time. Parents whose children are ultimately diagnosed with neurological issues due to brain injuries suffered at birth — whether shortly after birth or months to years later — have every right to question if medical negligence contributed to those injuries. With the assistance of legal counsel, it is possible to investigate the matter and, if appropriate, seek compensation from those deemed responsible for any damages sustained.