A brain injury in a newborn may prove to be fatal. Alternatively, it may hamper the mental and/or physical growth and development of the child significantly. It is necessary to understand the degree of the problem before you take a step.

A competent brain injury attorney could be of help in understanding whether you have a case or not. The process of birth often results in minor injuries to the baby. You need to know what is serious and what isn’t. Here is a checklist of the common brain injuries that occur at birth and the degree of damage they could cause.

Cephalohematoma – It occurs when blood accumulates under the fibrous periosteum (covering of the skull bone). This may cause swelling of the skull but are not at all dangerous. It heals within few weeks on its own and there is no reason to be alarmed.

Fracture – The head is the first part that enters the birth canal and thus is subjected to maximum pressure. This is why the skull bones of a newborn are prone to fracture. However, if this does not cause an indentation, there is no potential risk to the child.

Intracranial hemorrhage – The two major reasons of bleeding inside the brain are hypoxia (inadequate amount of oxygen to the brain) and ischemia (inadequate blood flow to the brain). The type of hemorrhage and its severity is the determining factor in this case.

Numerous problems may occur due to brain injury incurred at the time of birth. It may be something less complex like hearing or speech defect or something as serious as cerebral palsy or epilepsy.

There may be varied consequences; but if the reason is medical malpractice, you need to contact a specialized brain injury attorney and take legal action immediately. Only then would you be able to seek compensation.

For more information on brain injury lawsuits, visit www.bodnerlaw.com and contact them to hire a competent New York Brain Injury Attorney.