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Did Your Newborn Suffer Cerebral
Palsy or Another Brain Injury Before
or During Labor and Delivery?

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Our Birth Brain Injury Resource Guide

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Get a FREE guide of resources available throughout Ohio to children and families of children who were born with brain injuries.

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now and in the future.

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Common Misdiagnoses in Newborns

Newborns are precious and adorable, but they are also pretty helpless. They don’t do much besides eat, sleep and cry for the first few weeks of life. It’s the crying part that gets many parents because they don’t know what the little one is trying to tell them.

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Elk & Elk

When a baby is sick, they can’t tell you their symptoms except by crying. It’s up to you as their parent and their doctor to determine what might be the cause. Many doctors recommend screening for newborns to determine if they might have a medical condition. They may also request tests when a baby is sick if they can’t give a diagnosis based on physical signs.

Common Diagnoses

One of the most common diagnoses for a baby that cries for no apparent reason is colic. Grandparents and other relatives will often suggest the condition even if you haven’t gone to the doctor. However, the condition which may be disguised as colic is gastroesophagel reflux or GER. Contents from the stomach move back into the espophagus and causes discomfort in the baby.

It can also be tough to diagnose ear infections, which can cause a serious amount of pain in the little one. A newborn may not show you where they hurt, so it won’t be obvious that their ear is causing them discomfort.

Doctor Diagnoses

One survey said that at least half of pediatricians who responded made at least one error per month in diagnosis. At least one error per year was actually harmful to the patient. The most common misdiagnosis was for a viral illness that was identified as a bacterial infection.

Another issue with diagnosing infants is recognizing when they experience side effects from medication. Antibiotics are often over-prescribed, which can increase the risk for side effects. It also causes resistance to develop where it won’t be effective in the future. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics for viral infections or for colds and flu, but they aren’t helpful.

An example of common misdiagnoses involving medications is with the use of antihistamines. Often given for allergies. This includes Benadryl and Dimetapp, which are known to cause sleepiness. However, it can create hyper behavior in children under the age of two.

The doctors who responded to the survey said it was because of a lack of information. About half cited this as their top reason. Another 40 percent claimed that the parent not seeking medical care soon enough had an impact on the diagnosis.

Parents may choose to stay silent when a doctor gives a diagnosis even if they don’t agree, believing the pediatrician knows more. However, no one knows the baby as well as the parent, even if they are only a few days, weeks or months old. Parents begin to recognize routines and habits quickly and can often tell when something is wrong.

Don’t be afraid to question a diagnosis in your baby even if you have no concrete information to support your ideas. It never hurts to ask for further testing to ensure your little one is receiving the correct treatment.

Elk & Elk

When a baby is sick, they can’t tell you their symptoms except by crying. It’s up to you as their parent and their doctor to determine what might be the cause. Many doctors recommend screening for newborns to determine if they might have a medical condition. They may also request tests when a baby is sick if they can’t give a diagnosis based on physical signs.

Common Diagnoses

One of the most common diagnoses for a baby that cries for no apparent reason is colic. Grandparents and other relatives will often suggest the condition even if you haven’t gone to the doctor. However, the condition which may be disguised as colic is gastroesophagel reflux or GER. Contents from the stomach move back into the espophagus and causes discomfort in the baby.

It can also be tough to diagnose ear infections, which can cause a serious amount of pain in the little one. A newborn may not show you where they hurt, so it won’t be obvious that their ear is causing them discomfort.

Doctor Diagnoses

One survey said that at least half of pediatricians who responded made at least one error per month in diagnosis. At least one error per year was actually harmful to the patient. The most common misdiagnosis was for a viral illness that was identified as a bacterial infection.

Another issue with diagnosing infants is recognizing when they experience side effects from medication. Antibiotics are often over-prescribed, which can increase the risk for side effects. It also causes resistance to develop where it won’t be effective in the future. Doctors may prescribe antibiotics for viral infections or for colds and flu, but they aren’t helpful.

An example of common misdiagnoses involving medications is with the use of antihistamines. Often given for allergies. This includes Benadryl and Dimetapp, which are known to cause sleepiness. However, it can create hyper behavior in children under the age of two.

The doctors who responded to the survey said it was because of a lack of information. About half cited this as their top reason. Another 40 percent claimed that the parent not seeking medical care soon enough had an impact on the diagnosis.

Parents may choose to stay silent when a doctor gives a diagnosis even if they don’t agree, believing the pediatrician knows more. However, no one knows the baby as well as the parent, even if they are only a few days, weeks or months old. Parents begin to recognize routines and habits quickly and can often tell when something is wrong.

Don’t be afraid to question a diagnosis in your baby even if you have no concrete information to support your ideas. It never hurts to ask for further testing to ensure your little one is receiving the correct treatment.