A child missing developmental milestones can leave parents searching for answers. The cause is not always immediately clear. In some cases, a developmental delay may be linked to an injury that occurred during labor and delivery.
What are developmental milestones?
Babies grow and develop in stages. Certain skills like smiling, rolling over or walking typically appear within specific age ranges. Doctors refer to these as developmental milestones. Reaching these milestones on time shows that a child’s brain and body are growing as expected. When a child consistently falls behind, it can raise serious concerns for parents.
What causes developmental delays?
Developmental delays have many possible causes. Genetics, premature birth and early infections are among the most common. In some cases, delays originate from events that happened during labor and delivery. This is where a birth injury may play a role.
What is a birth injury?
A birth injury occurs when a baby suffers physical harm during labor or delivery. Medical errors such as delayed C-sections or failure to monitor fetal distress can damage a baby’s developing brain or nervous system. This damage may not appear right away. Instead, it can surface months or even years later as missed developmental milestones.
What signs should parents watch for?
Some early warning signs of a birth injury-related issue include:
- No eye contact by 3 months
- Not sitting without support by 9 months
- Not walking by 18 months
- Delayed speech or language development
- Unusual muscle stiffness or weakness
These signs alone do not confirm a birth injury. However, parents may raise these concerns with their child’s physician as soon as possible to investigate the cause.
Can you hold medical providers accountable?
Not every delay traces back to negligence, but some do. Reviewing birth and medical records can reveal critical details about what took place during labor and delivery. Key questions worth exploring include:
- Did the medical team properly monitor fetal distress?
- Did they respond quickly when complications arose?
- Did they use delivery tools correctly?
These details matter because Illinois law holds healthcare providers to a defined standard of care. When a provider falls short of that standard, families may have legal grounds to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
What damages can you recover in a birth injury claim?
When negligence causes permanent harm to a child, Illinois law allows families to pursue compensation. This can include costs for past and future medical treatment, ongoing therapy, and special education services. Families may also seek damages for the physical and emotional toll the injury has placed on their child.
Proving a claim requires demonstrating that a provider’s negligence directly caused your child’s condition. This must be supported by documentation from a qualified medical professional. Illinois sets specific filing deadlines for medical malpractice claims involving minors. Families have either eight years from the date of the birth injury or until the child turns 22 to file a claim.
Helping your child get the support they need
Every child deserves the chance to grow and thrive. When a birth injury stands in the way of that, families deserve answers. Paying attention to the signs and asking the right questions are all meaningful steps toward understanding your child’s situation.