Can Epilepsy Be Caused by Birth Injuries?

 Posted on May 30, 2022 in Birth Injury

Generally, our brain uses its electrical signals in an organized fashion, sending messages from one part of the brain to another and allowing us to move our limbs, talk, think, and carry out daily activities. However, for people who have epilepsy, seizures are caused by sudden, uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity within the brain, causing normal thought patterns and certain physical functioning to shut down until the seizure ends. 

The causes and severity of epilepsy can vary dramatically. Some people have mild seizures from time to time while others experience severe seizures much more often. While the exact cause of epilepsy is sometimes unknown, certain birth injuries during pregnancy or childbirth can make seizures more likely throughout a child’s life. 

What Kinds of Birth Injuries Cause Seizures? 

Some of the conditions that cause seizures are inevitable, even with the best medical care. Others, however, occur because of careless or negligent behavior on the part of doctors, nurses, or midwives. Birth injuries that may cause seizures include, but are not limited to:

• Prolonged or difficult labor
• Breech position delivery
• Premature birth
• Oxygen deprivation, or asphyxia
• Serious infections, especially in the brain 
• Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy 

It can be difficult to determine whether your child’s seizures are caused by a birth injury. When your child first begins experiencing seizures, it is important to take her to a physician for comprehensive testing and diagnosis. Tests may include: 

• Electroencephalogram (EEG) 
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Computed tomography scan (CT scan)

In addition to the seizures, it is essential to inform your doctor about any unusual or abnormal behaviors from your child such as muscle spasms, lethargy, difficulty breathing or eating, or developmental delays. 

My Baby is Already Hurt. How Can a Lawyer Help? 

Epilepsy is often a very expensive, difficult condition to treat. A child with epilepsy may require full-time medical care, expensive medications, continual testing, and more. A successful birth injuries lawsuit could help parents recover a financial award to compensate for the expenses of treating epilepsy. They can do this by investigating the situation and taking whatever steps are necessary to pursue justice on your child’s behalf. 

Contact an Aggressive Chicago Birth Injuries Lawyer

At Birth Injury Law Alliance, Ltd., our Cook County birth injury attorneys believe that parents and children who are victims of medical malpractice during childbirth deserve not only compensation for their suffering, but also the right to hold responsible parties to account. Because birth injuries can have such a lasting effect on victims’ quality of life, hiring an experienced attorney who will aggressively investigate and pursue every option is the best way to recover damages and help ensure such actions do not happen again. Call our offices today at 312-462-4200 to schedule a free consultation. 

Source: 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seizure/symptoms-causes/syc-20365711