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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.

Get Your Free Guide Now
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Birth Brain Injuries and After Effects

When it is time to deliver a baby, sometimes things do not always go according to plan. There are times when a difficult birth can cause damage or injury to a baby. In instances of asphyxia or oxygen deprivation, the child’s brain is deprived of oxygen while being delivered and it can cause lasting effects on the child as they grow into maturity. The areas of the brain that control learning and memory may be affected causing your child to have issues once they enter school as a result of birth complications.

Elk & Elk

Effects of Injuries Causing Oxygen Deprivation

Babies that have experienced loss of oxygen while being brought into the world may have some limitations when it comes to learning and development as they grow. Some of those issues may be:

  • Memory problems
  • Delayed and poor motor skills
  • Inability to learn new skills
  • Unable to retain information taught to them
  • Learning disabilities

Learning and Memory Problems

If the child has suffered damage to their brain from a birth injury as they grow and mature, they may have difficulty focusing, maintaining attention, or controlling impulses. In many cases, they may not be found to have issues until they enter school. So that means for much of their infant and toddler years, the problem goes untreated.

Learning disabilities as a result of an injury at birth could prevent your child from learning to read or perform simple math operations correctly because there has been damage to the areas of the brain that control learning may be affected. They may lack critical thinking skills and be unable to make decisions, or their memory could be affected because of oxygen being deprived of the areas that control those functions.

What Should You Do?

You will need to make sure your child has routine follow-up visits to assess their developmental growth during the early years of their life. Any signs of motor and developmental skills should be treated by physical and occupational therapies as soon as possible to gain the most benefit. The earlier the treatment begins, the better the chances for recovery (even if it isn’t a complete recovery).

A child should be tested as soon as possible prior to them entering an educational institution. You should have them assessed as early as possible and definitely by the age of one when the cognitive portions of the brain are starting to be utilized. An evaluation should include behavior skills, intellectual skills and should be done at various ages to monitor growth and development.

Your child’s primary care doctor is your best resource on where you should take your child for evaluation and treatment of any disabilities discovered after testing. They may even be able to refer you to therapists that they work closely with so that all areas of your child’s physical and mental health, as well as their growth and development, are monitored. It is important for you to stay informed about your child’s care as they mature.