The days leading up to a birth are some of the most stressful a parent can go through. The mixture of hopes and fears keeps the family on its toes. Fortunately, most births go smoothly, and the fears dissipate as the new life grows.

In the case of a birth injury, the process is reversed with the fears growing daily and the path to recovery a window quickly slamming shut. 

Even so, many injuries are treatable and have only short-term effects. For those rarity of rarities, though, the road to recovery becomes long and expensive. 

Let’s look at the costs and conditions associated with a treating a birth injury long-term.

Hospital and Medical Care

Medical care for a newborn with a birth injury can take several forms. In the hours after a birth a baby is examined for obvious issues related to the birth. Not all injuries are obvious early on with some taking years to become apparent.

Doctors treat injury with the same toolbox of treatments that would be used on an adult but with finer instruments and more careful dosages. Treatments include surgery, physical therapy, medications, and hyperbaric therapy, and temperature-controlled environments.

The process of recovery is aided by the robust growth and regenerative properties of a baby but also hindered by the small size and overall lack of resilience. 

Many of these treatments require specialists and round the clock monitoring to both discover and treat. These processes easily add up to hefty hospital bills. 

Most medical care is short-term and immediate to the birth event. In some cases, an injury requires follow ups and frequent treatment.

Rehab and Therapy

In cases of injury that result in poor, diminished, or useless motor functions, skill need to be taught an compensated for. 

For physical injuries, such as a damaged or removed limb, this takes the form of physical therapy and rehab. These treatments focus on building up sills that enable a child to function within their limited circumstances. This can include a returning to nominal function or acceptance of a prosthetic or medical device. 

For mental and learning disorders resulting from trauma to the brain, occupational therapy is undertaken. The goal of these treatments is to build up abilities that become harder to attain through general aging and socialization.

Therapy for cognitive and social disabilities can be short or long-term.

Quality of Life Adjustments

Quality of life costs are often the most expensive portion of dealing with a long-term birth injury. Specialists for providing frequent therapy and rehab are only one component of this cost. Home retrofits are common to accommodate motor functions and impairment. 

Some babies will require life-long care as a result of a birth injury. For these cases the costs associated with the care have no bottom as the emotional damage and the loss of function for the child are grouped. 

Find Help

Making room for a newborn in a home is already quite a task. Taking that space and converting it to accommodate conditions after a birth injury is painful and expensive. Preparing for long-term care of any injury is a sobering experience.

You shouldn’t be left wondering about how you will cover the costs associated with a birth injury caused by the negligence and mistakes of others. You should hold them accountable and fight for compensation by contacting us for information on how to proceed. We’re here to help.