These Are The Best Things You Can Do For A Child With A Birth Injury

Knowing your child suffered an injury at birth can be difficult to move past, particularly with the understanding that the injury could have been prevented had the attending doctor acted responsibly. But, you cannot fix the past. The best thing you can do for your child with a birth injury is to care for yourself, care for them, and make every effort to move forward positively. Below are three things you can do for your child in the wake of a birth injury.

#1. Sign Up for a Support Group

There are several support groups available for children who have suffered birth injuries, as well as their families. Signing up for a support group is a great way for you and your child to meet and connect with others who have gone through a similar experience.

Support groups can provide you and your child with the following benefits:

Feeling less lonely, isolated, or judged
Reducing distress, depression, anxiety, or fatigue
Talking openly and honestly about your feelings
Getting practical feedback about treatment options
Learning about health, economic or social resources

Taking the steps to find a support group is the first step to supporting yourself emotionally. This resource can help you find support groups in Maryland.

#2. Forgive Yourself

Understand that there is nothing you could have done to prevent your child’s birth injury. That fault lies solely with the medical provider who injured your child. Even if you did everything right during the pregnancy, there is no predicting what the medical provider will do (or will not do) once it’s time for you to give birth in the delivery room.

Keeping your emotions and spirits high will put you in the right mindset to provide your child with the best possible support. Some meditative practices that may help you during this process include:

Discuss your emotions with a therapist, a partner, a family member, or a friend.
Spend time bonding with your baby and understand that this is just the beginning of your time together.
Remove yourself from toxic relationships that do not help you during this time.

#3. Seek Legal Representation

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the parents of a child born today may expect to spend approximately $233,610 for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise a child through age 17.

This amount does not include the additional expenditures that parents with a disabled or injured child can expect to pay. It is estimated that the lifetime cost for an individual with an intellectual disability averages $1.4 -$2.4 million. Since many birth injuries involve oxygen deprivation and subsequent brain damage, it can be argued that parents whose children suffer birth injuries can expect to spend this amount.

Such expenses can easily put families in a financial hole and prevent the injured child from receiving the medical treatment they need. In this situation, you need an attorney on your side who has the experience and resources needed to recover the maximum possible compensation for you.

With the right legal team, you may be able to recover compensation for the following:

Past and future medical bills
Past and future lost wages
Pain and suffering

At Brown & Barron, LLC, our team is well-versed in this area of the law and we have what it takes to help you and your child move forward.

Call Brown & Barron, LLC at (410) 698-1717 to schedule a free consultation.