Birth Injuries Linked to Mental Illness

Birth Injuries Linked to Mental Illness

Birth injuries are an unfortunate reality of life. Some occur because of doctors’ mistakes, while others happen because of a baby’s size or position during labor. The injuries can sometimes last a lifetime, but more often than not, the baby suffers no long-term damage – or so we thought. Brachial plexus injuries have recently been connected to the development of mental illness in teenagers, giving experts food for thought about the long-term ramifications of birth injuries.

Brachial Plexus Injuries

These injuries can occur virtually any time, but most frequently, they happen when a baby’s shoulder or arm becomes stuck behind their mother’s pelvic bone. This causes nerve damage to the shoulder, arm and fingers. Some experience numbness and decreased gripping abilities. Others suffer no obvious long-term impacts. A Swedish study has recently connected brachial plexus injuries to the development of mental health issues in teenagers. In general, the study found that girls were disproportionately affected by their brachial plexus injuries, as were teens from lower income homes.

Preventing Injuries, Mental Illness

The main takeaway from the Swedish study? More needs to be done to prevent these brachial plexus birth injuries from occurring at all. Because they are preventable injuries with such serious long-term consequences, doctors and nurses need to do everything possible to prevent such accidents from occurring. More care needs to be given to the victims, too, even after the physical impact of their injuries have seemingly healed.

Birth Injury Attorneys

The birth of a child should be a happy time for a family, but when mother and baby receive negligent care, that happiness can quickly evaporate. New mothers and their infants aren’t immune to medical malpractice, and when negligence does occur, it can have lifelong ramifications for the family. A fair settlement can help ensure parents have everything they need to provide for their child, whether that includes short-term care or lifelong treatment. That’s why our birth injury attorneys are committed to helping victims pursue justice. Contact us for a free consultation.