Questions?What Are the Symptoms of a Birth Injury?
Birth injury symptoms can vary depending on the type of injury and its severity. Some symptoms of birth injuries are immediately noticeable, while others may develop over time.
Warning signs of birth trauma can affect different areas of the baby’s body, including the brain, nerves, or muscles.
Common signs and symptoms of birth injury include:
- Abnormal head size (too large or too small)
- Breathing difficulties or signs of oxygen deprivation
- Developmental delays in meeting milestones
- Difficulty feeding or trouble swallowing
- Pale or bluish skin (cyanosis)
- Seizures or unusual movements
- Stiff or rigid muscles (hypertonia)
- Swelling or bruising on the baby’s head or shoulders
- Weak or floppy muscle tone (hypotonia)
If you’ve noticed any signs of a birth injury, your family may be entitled to compensation that can help cover your child’s care and future needs. Some birth injury lawsuits result in multimillion-dollar payouts.
An experienced birth injury attorney can fight for the money your family deserves. The skilled lawyers in our network have helped families recover over $1 billion.
We can help families in all 50 states. Find out if we can help you — get a free case review right now.
Birth Injury Symptoms by Injury Type
The symptoms of a birth injury can depend on the type of injury. Some injuries affect how a baby moves, while others impact breathing, feeding, or development.
Some common conditions and birth injury symptoms include:
- Brachial plexus injuries: Can cause weakness, loss of movement, or paralysis in the arm and hand due to nerve damage during delivery
- Brain damage: May present as developmental delays, seizures, or abnormal muscle tone, including stiffness (hypertonia) or floppiness (hypotonia)
- Cerebral palsy: Can result in muscle stiffness, poor coordination, difficulty with movement, and delays in reaching developmental milestones
- Erb’s palsy: A brachial plexus injury that leads to weakness or loss of motion in the upper arm and shoulder, often caused by excessive stretching during birth
- Forceps delivery complications: Can cause bruising or swelling on the head or face, skull fractures, or facial nerve injuries leading to facial drooping
- Hydrocephalus: Characterized by a rapidly increasing head size, vomiting, bulging soft spots (fontanelles) on the head, or a high-pitched cry indicating discomfort
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): Symptoms include pale or bluish skin, weak or absent breathing, and reduced muscle tone with poor reflexes
- Intraventricular hemorrhage: Lethargy or extreme sleepiness, high-pitched crying, or swollen soft spots on the baby’s head
- Kernicterus: Signs include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), muscle spasms or arching, and a high-pitched cry, necessitating urgent treatment
- Meconium aspiration syndrome: Bluish skin color, breathing difficulties, or limpness at birth due to reduced oxygen levels from inhaling their first feces
- Meningitis: Fever, excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking, vomiting, bulging soft spots on the head, or a purple-red rash requiring immediate medical attention
- Newborn cephalohematoma: Soft bumps or bulges on the head, swelling, feeding difficulties, or increased head circumference
- Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL): Stiff, jerky movements in the legs, developmental delays, trouble with vision and eye movement
- Shoulder dystocia: When a baby’s shoulders get stuck during delivery, it can cause a broken clavicle (collarbone), nerve damage, or trouble moving one arm
- Vacuum extraction complications: Swelling or bruising on the scalp, skull fractures, or bleeding in the brain that can cause irritability or seizures
Understanding the signs linked to different types of birth injuries can help parents know what to look for and when to seek help.
When Do Birth Injury Symptoms Appear?
Birth injury symptoms can appear immediately after delivery or develop gradually as your child grows. You might spot some birth injury symptoms within hours or days of birth, while others may not be noticeable until months or even years later.
Immediately or shortly after your child is born, you might notice severe birth injury symptoms, like difficulty breathing or limpness. You may also see swelling or bruising if a birth injury has occurred.
Within the first weeks or months, there may be signs of developmental delays, feeding difficulties, or abnormal muscle tone (stiffness or floppiness).
“When a baby is a few months old, we expect them to make eye contact, observe faces, and respond to voices by turning toward sounds. They should also start bringing their hands to their mouths.”
— Kristin Proctor, on-staff registered nurse
Over time, birth injury symptoms like learning difficulties, behavioral issues, or gait abnormalities may arise.
For mild trauma in newborns, like minor bruising or swelling, birth injury symptoms may resolve on their own as your baby heals naturally. However, more severe injuries can have long-term effects that require ongoing medical care.
When to Seek Treatment for a Birth Injury
If your baby has trouble breathing, feeding, or moving, seek medical care right away. Birth injury symptoms like seizures, pale or bluish skin, or a high-pitched cry may mean your child has a serious condition.
Get medical help immediately if:
- Your baby is showing signs of distress or discomfort that don’t improve, such as difficulty feeding or moving.
- Symptoms worsen over time, like increasing stiffness, weakness, or delays in hitting developmental milestones.
- You feel something is wrong, even if birth injury symptoms seem mild — intervening early can really make a difference.
Without treatment, some birth injuries can lead to lifelong challenges, including permanent disabilities.
If you’re worried about your baby’s health, we have a team of registered nurses who are here to help — at no cost to you.
Connect with a registered nurse now.
Beth has more than 18 years of specialized experience in labor and delivery. She’s available to hear your story and help you figure out the cause of your child’s injury — and what you can do next.
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Causes and Risk Factors for Birth Injury Symptoms
Birth injury symptoms can result from complications during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or shortly after birth. Some injuries are unavoidable, but others happen due to medical negligence by health care professionals.
Understanding the causes and risk factors can help families recognize when a preventable birth injury may have occurred.
Causes of Birth Injury Symptoms
Birth injury symptoms can result from various factors during pregnancy, birth, or early childhood.
Common causes of birth injuries include:
- Abnormal positioning: Babies in breech (feet-first) or other difficult positions face a higher risk of oxygen deprivation or nerve injuries.
- Improper use of assisted delivery tools: Misuse of forceps or vacuum extractors can cause head trauma, nerve damage, or skull fractures.
- Oxygen deprivation: Conditions like umbilical cord prolapse, placental abruption, or prolonged labor can reduce oxygen supply, leading to brain injuries.
- Prolonged or difficult labor: Excessive pressure on the baby’s head or body can cause nerve injuries or lack of oxygen, increasing the risk of long-term complications.
Proper medical care before, during, and after birth is essential to reducing the risk of birth injuries. Delayed intervention or failure to monitor complications can lead to serious harm.
Risk Factors for Birth Injury Symptoms
Certain medical conditions and complications increase the risk of birth injury symptoms that affect movement, breathing, feeding, or overall development.
Some common risk factors for birth injuries include:
- Premature birth: Babies born too early have underdeveloped organs and are more vulnerable to brain bleeds, breathing problems, and nerve injuries.
- Large birth weight (macrosomia): A larger baby may have difficulty passing through the birth canal, increasing the risk of fractures or nerve damage.
- Maternal health conditions: Diabetes, high blood pressure, infections, or other pregnancy complications can make delivery more dangerous for the baby.
Medical professionals are responsible for managing these risk factors to prevent complications. Failure to do so may be medical malpractice.
If you suspect your child’s birth injury symptoms were caused by preventable harm, your family may be entitled to financial compensation.
Get a free case review now.
Diagnosing Birth Injury Symptoms
Doctors look for a sign and symptoms of birth injury by performing a physical exam right after birth. These exams check for signs like bruising, swelling, or breathing difficulties.
If needed, they may order imaging tests such as MRIs or ultrasounds to detect internal injuries like fractures or brain damage.
Neurological tests, including EEGs, can help assess brain activity, while blood tests may identify oxygen deprivation or other underlying conditions.
In some cases, specialists will monitor the baby’s development over time to track birth injury symptoms and recommend appropriate treatment.
Treatment for Birth Injury Symptoms
The best treatment for birth injuries depends on the type and severity of the condition.
A doctor may recommend:
- Adaptive equipment: Braces, wheelchairs, or orthotics assist with mobility and independence
- Medications: To relieve symptoms like muscle stiffness, seizures, or secondary conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Occupational therapy: To build fine motor skills for grasping, dressing, and feeding
- Physical therapy: Strengthens muscles, improves mobility, and supports voluntary movement
- Speech therapy: Supports communication and oral muscle control in children with neurological or developmental delays
- Surgery: To correct severe injuries, like fractures, nerve damage, or brain injuries, restoring function and preventing complications
A customized treatment plan can help manage birth injury symptoms and improve a child’s long-term health and quality of life.
Get Legal Help for Your Child’s Birth Injury Symptoms
If your child is showing signs of a birth injury, you may have questions about what caused it and what to do next.
In some cases, medical mistakes during labor or delivery lead to preventable injuries that affect a child’s development and long-term health. When this happens, families may have legal options.
A birth injury lawsuit could provide financial support for:
- Ongoing medical care and therapy
- Rehabilitation and assistive devices
- Surgeries and specialized treatments
An experienced personal injury lawyer can determine whether medical negligence played a role in your child’s birth injury symptoms. They can handle the legal process on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your child’s care.
Our legal partners have secured more than $1 billion for families affected by preventable birth injuries.
Call us right now at (800) 914-1562 or fill out our case review form to see how we can help get the care and support your child deserves.
Birth Injury Symptoms FAQs
What is the most common type of birth injury?
One of the most common types of birth injury is brachial plexus injury, which affects the nerves controlling the arm and hand.
It often happens during difficult deliveries when excessive force stretches or damages the nerves. Mild cases may heal on their own, while severe cases can cause long-term weakness or paralysis, known as Erb’s palsy.
What are the symptoms of birth trauma?
Birth injury symptoms in newborns may include abnormal muscle tone, difficulty feeding, seizures, pale or blue skin, and lethargy. Bruises or swelling may indicate a physical injury.
Later signs include delayed milestones, poor muscle control, speech delays, or coordination issues, which may suggest nerve or brain damage.
How do I know if my baby has a birth injury?
If you suspect your baby has suffered a birth injury, a pediatrician can confirm it through exams, imaging, and tests. You can also watch for developmental delays or physical issues like limited movement.
If you suspect medical malpractice played a role in causing your child’s birth injury symptoms, we may be able to help.
Call the Birth Injury Justice Center right now at (800) 914-1562 or Click to Live Chat about your legal options.
What are the long-term effects of birth injury?
Long-term effects may include conditions like cerebral palsy, physical disabilities, or chronic health conditions. The sooner you can seek treatment, the more you may be able to prevent long-term complications.
Can I sue for a birth injury?
Yes, you can sue if medical negligence caused the birth injury. Birth injury lawyers can guide you through the legal process and seek compensation for your child’s care and recovery.
If you suspect medical negligence played a role in your child’s birth injury symptoms, your family may be entitled to compensation to help provide the best possible care and support.
Get a free case review right now to get started.
