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

Learn More

Our Birth Brain Injury Resource Guide

the guide

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

Our guide can help you build a foundation of knowledge and tools that will help you help your child
now and in the future.

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How to Choose a Healthcare Provider

When a baby sustains a brain injury (BI) from birth, parents want to know how bad things are from the outset and whether or not their child will meet their developmental milestones. These are difficult questions to answer, especially for healthcare providers with limited experience of children with a brain injury.

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It is therefore helpful for parents to work with the right healthcare professionals in a partnership as your child continues to grow up. This will help when it comes to sharing information with which decisions need to be made. The healthcare providers should be willing and able to explain the developmental milestones of children to you and give you the advice you need as to whether they think your baby is or is not meeting their milestones and working towards the next steps.

The Psychological Effects of a Baby’s BI on Parents

A baby’s BI can have a massive psychological effect on parents, since they may not know how much of an impact the injury is going to have on the child. Since a baby’s brain is not yet fully developed, even the mildest of brain injuries can lead to impairments or difficulties that could develop some years later.

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What About the Prognosis?

When it comes to the prognosis of your baby’s BI, there is no set or fixed answer as it is an injury that can cover a wide spectrum. Brain injuries are incredibly complex, and a proper prognosis can take months or even a number of years.

There is a range of things that the right healthcare provider will assess to get a general idea of your baby’s prognosis. It is important to choose a healthcare professional who has experience with baby birth injuries and who will work closely with you to record the details of any behaviors you think could be a sign that your child is not meeting his or her milestones.

What’s more, goal setting is an important part of your baby’s rehabilitation and should be a joint venture between you and the healthcare provider or team.

Talking to Your Healthcare Provider

A brain injury can lead to long term effects, and no doubt you will have questions and issues to resolve throughout your child’s life. Continuity in the relationship between you and trusted professionals is crucial, and surrounding yourself with a team of professionals such as counselors and family doctors, as well as therapists, can help a great deal with support and advice.

What About Treatment?

If your baby has suffered severe brain damage, then treatment is likely to start early. Treatment may include physical therapy and medication to prevent seizures and other secondary effects.

If your baby’s brain damage is not severe, you may not yet realize that he or she has suffered an injury until later on.

Surrounding yourself with a team of medical professionals who can recognize and assist with the treatment or a brain injury is key to your child’s development.