When a child’s brain is hurt, it is one of the most serious injuries possible. The brain controls everything: thoughts, feelings, movements, talking, learning. Damage to a young brain can have a profoundly significant impact on a child’s entire future.
- What They Are:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): This occurs when a sudden bump, blow, or jolt to the head causes the brain to move violently inside the skull. Or an object could go through the skull. It can be from a car accident, a fall, sports, or abuse. The brain literally gets shaken or damaged.
- Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE): This is a very specific type of brain injury, often seen in babies. It occurs when a baby’s brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen or blood flow, typically during the birth process. This can be due to problems during labor or delivery, like a tangled umbilical cord, placental issues, or a delay in C-section. It’s a devastating birth injury.
- Why It’s So Serious for Kids: A child’s brain is still growing and developing at an incredible speed. An injury can disrupt this delicate process, changing pathways and connections. The younger the child, the more devastating the long-term effects can be, as critical brain development stages are often interrupted.
- Causes: Common causes include falls (especially for toddlers), car accidents, sports injuries (like concussions), child abuse (like shaken baby syndrome), and medical malpractice (especially HIE at birth).
- Statistics on Brain Injuries:
- TBIs are a leading cause of death and disability in children and young adults.
- Roughly 175 children (aged 0-17) are hospitalized every day for a TBI. That’s over 63,000 child hospitalizations each year for brain injuries.
- Falls are the leading cause of TBI among children aged 0–4 years, accounting for nearly 50% of TBI-related emergency room visits in this age group.
- Being struck by or against an object (like in sports or playground incidents) is the leading cause of TBI among children aged 5–14 years.
- The lifetime cost of care for a single child with a severe TBI can easily reach $30 – $50 million.
- Diagnosis and Treatment: Diagnosing TBI can involve CT scans, MRIs, and neurological exams. Treatment focuses on stabilizing the child, reducing brain swelling, and then intensive rehabilitation. For HIE, therapeutic hypothermia (cooling the baby) is a critical early treatment.
- Long-Term Impact: Even “mild” TBIs (concussions) need careful watching. Repeated concussions are very dangerous. More severe brain injuries can lead to:
- Cognitive problems: Trouble with memory, attention, problem-solving, learning in school, difficulty with executive functions (planning, organizing).
- Physical challenges: Problems with balance, coordination, weakness, spasticity, or even paralysis.
- Emotional and behavioral changes: Mood swings, anger, frustration, irritability, anxiety, depression, impulse control issues, and personality changes.
- Seizures: Some children develop epilepsy after a TBI, requiring lifelong medication.
- Lifelong care: Many children with severe brain injuries will need extensive therapy (physical, occupational, speech), special education, and assistance for their entire lives, often requiring round-the-clock care.
A Child’s Brain Injury Changes Everything. Fight for Their Whole Future.
When a child’s brain is hurt, it’s one of the most devastating injuries imaginable. The brain controls everything – thoughts, feelings, movements, learning, their very essence. If a sudden blow, fall, or lack of oxygen during birth has tragically impacted your child’s developing brain, their future can be changed forever.
You’re facing a journey filled with profound cognitive, physical, and emotional challenges, and staggering lifetime costs reaching tens of millions of dollars. You don’t have to navigate this overwhelming path alone.
At Child & Birth Injury Lawyers, we deeply understand the unique complexities of pediatric brain injuries, including TBIs and HIE. We are prepared to uncover the negligence – whether from a preventable accident, sports incident, or medical error at birth – and fight fiercely for the comprehensive compensation your child will need for lifelong therapies, specialized education, and dedicated care.
Every moment counts in securing their future. Don’t let precious time slip away.
Act now to protect your child’s right to the best possible care and a life with dignity. Call Child & Birth Injury Lawyers immediately. We are here, nationwide, to listen, investigate, and fight for your child’s entire future.