Tag: children

Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Not Always Visible

Brain damage and traumatic brain injuries in newborns can sometimes be detected by physical appearances, recognized through brain scans, a child’s disposition, or developmental delays. Not all brain damages exhibit physical abnormalities but those that do often have unusually shaped skull structures (quite often a tiny skull size), difficulty focusing the eyes, large forehead, deformed spine, and other facial abnormalities.

Identifying Brain Injuries through Behavioral and Developmental Characteristics

new jersey philadelphia birth defects lawyers Traumatic Brain InjuriesBehavioral differences include excessive fussiness, extended periods of crying, refusal to sleep lying down, or too much or too little sleep. Another common indicator of brain damage is developmental delays. There are typical milestones that are generally expected of young children at specific stages of their life. For instance, there is a general age when most infants begin crawling, rolling over, uttering their first word, and so forth. A child with brain damage may have difficulty reaching these milestones at the typical age. Other symptoms can include body temperature, skin color, breathing patterns, seizures, and other similar indicators.
If your newborn baby suffers from one of the mentioned symptoms, it does not necessarily mean that your baby has brain damage or has suffered a traumatic brain injury. Abnormalities can occur due to wide array of reasons. Brain damage can only be diagnosed by a well-qualified and specialized medical professional. Each individual case varies depending on many factors. Your physician will know your specific situation better than anybody else and he or she will be able to identify any issues your child may be experiencing both externally and internally.

Traumatic Brain Injuries Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

Traumatic brain injuries that have caused brain damage can be very detrimental to the health of a young child and it is crucial to identify potential problems as early as possible. If your child has suffered from some sort of brain damage and you believe the problem has been worsened by ineffective medical treatment it is likely you have some questions. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Birth Defects Shouldn’t Dampen the Joy of Birth

Childbirth should be a beautiful and life-changing experience for parents. Unfortunately, birth defects can change this experience. Children born with birth defects will require additional care. In the case of a cleft lip or cleft palate, surgery is necessary within only a few weeks after the child is born. But this surgery is routine and simple, and parents should not let this small wrench ruin the joy of a new baby. As difficult as it may seem, it is important to transfer the emotion of fear into motivation to seek immediate help.

Birth Defects Happen and Help is Waiting

New parents may be overwhelmed with the birth of a child who is already in need of special treatment and surgery, but there are plenty of resources available to help both parent and child get through the difficult time with ease.

new jersey philadelphia Birth Defects attorneys dampen joy birthCleft lip occurs in about one out of seven hundred births, meaning there are people who are ready to help your child live a normal life. This team consists of professionals like a plastic/craniofacial surgeon, pediatrician, orthodontist, pediatric dentist, speech language pathologist, ear nose and throat specialist, an audiologist, genetic counselor, nurse team coordinator, and a social worker. Each of these individuals will provide a form of support and strength to your baby and family. These professionals are trained to treat your baby’s needs and answer any questions you may have. Beyond providing healthcare for your baby, counselors and social workers are designated to help your child cope with the psychological aspects that may accompany a cleft lip/palate. A child with a cleft lip will face many health problems, but the deeper, emotional problems can be just as significant. These counselors will introduce you to organizations for certain birth defects, as well as support groups of other families just like yours. Despite the fear of the unknown, it is crucial to be an advocate for your child and to utilize all possible resources.

Birth Defects Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia

If your child was born with a birth defect that you believe can be attributed to your use of Topamax during pregnancy, it is likely that you have some questions. Please contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.

Child Accidents Raise Concern Over Automobile Safety

According to a global study performed by the World Health Organization and Unicef, it has been found that around the globe, accidents kill 830,000 children each year.  Over all, although 95 percent of all injuries to children occur in poor and middle-income countries, injuries account for 40 percent of all child deaths in rich ones – Including the United States.

Dr. Étienne Krug, director of injuries and violence prevention at the World Health Organization, believes this is because wealthier nations tend to not have much better child health care, but do not attempt to remedy the causes of childhood accidents.  In a recent article in the New York Times, Dr. Krug was quoted saying, “This is a huge public health problem, and it’s been ignored for a long time.  It’s a combination of ignorance about how big it is, and because of fatalism, of thinking, ‘Oh, it’s an accident, we can’t do anything about it.’ ”

The Center for Disease control reports that in the United States, accidents kill 12,175 children a year.   That is more than all diseases combined.  At the center of this statistic lies a fact, which many American law makers already know, but choose to ignore.  Automobile accidents claim the lives of many infants and toddlers, however by the time children reach their teenage years, automobile accidents instantaneously become the leading cause of death. 

In a New York Times article, Ileana Arias, The Center for Disease control’s chief of injury prevention, reports that the three changes that would save the most lives of American children would be for more states to pass “graduated driver’s license” laws, which forbid teenagers to drive at night or with teenage passengers, to enforce seat-belt laws on teenagers and to make all children younger than 8 ride in booster seats.

Currently however, these suggestions do not carry the power of the law.  They are however the best solution to an epidemic problem.  As Ms. Arias recommends, please keep your child in a booster seat until they reach the age of eight.  If you have a teenage driver, remember that they more than likely don’t share your priorities and equal judgment when it comes to driving.  Please talk to your teenagers often enough about the importance of the seatbelt, and the effects of distracted driving. 

If you or someone you know has been seriously hurt in an accident, please contact an attorney immediately. 

Contact an Automobile Accident Attorney in NJ