Chicago Cranial Compression Injuries
Many different types of serious birth injuries can occur during labor and delivery, and a doctor or other healthcare provider may be liable for harm. One type of injury that can affect a newborn is a cranial compression injury, which can also be described as head compression, cerebral compression, or head trauma more broadly. Cranial compression, or cerebral compression, occurs when there is excessive pressure on a newborn baby’s head. In some cases, there may be obvious signs and symptoms, but other symptoms of a brain injury may be more difficult for parents to identify.
When a healthcare provider’s negligence results in a serious newborn brain injury, it is critical to learn more about filing a claim for financial compensation and holding the healthcare provider accountable. An experienced Chicago cranial compression injuries attorney at our firm can speak with you today about your case.
What is a Cranial Compression Injury?
Cranial compression, or cerebral compression, is a kind of brain injury that can occur during childbirth when there is too much pressure on the newborn’s head. Sometimes this injury is referred to as cranial compression ischemic encephalopathy (CCIE), according to a study in The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. During childbirth, it is normal for some amount of pressure to be exerted on a baby’s head during maternal pushing and uterine contractions. However, when too much pressure is exerted, the newborn can sustain a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.
In some cases of cranial compression injury, the newborn might show physical signs or symptoms, but often there are no outward indications until after childbirth. When signs and symptoms do appear, they may include but are not limited to:
- Cephalohematoma;
- Bruising;
- Caput succedaneum; and
- Head molding.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, cephalohematoma is a term that refers to an injury in which blood “collects between a newborn’s scalp and skull,” and it can happen “when pressure on a baby’s head ruptures blood vessels in the scalp.” The term caput succedaneum refers to a “swelling of the scalp in a newborn,” according to MedlinePlus, and it typically results from “pressure from the uterus or vaginal wall during a head-first delivery.” MedlinePlus also explains that head molding tends to occur during a head-first birth, and it is a term that refers to a situation in which “pressure on the head caused by the tight birth canal may ‘mold’ the head into an oblong rather than a round shape.” Although most head molding tends to disappear within a few days of childbirth, it can be a sign of a cranial compression injury.
Filing a Cranial Compression Injury Lawsuit in Chicago
If you are planning to file a birth injury lawsuit for a cranial compression injury, it is important to know that you will likely have eight years from the date of the birth injury under Illinois law.
Contact Our Chicago Cranial Compression Injury Attorneys Today
If you have questions about filing a cranial compression injury lawsuit, you should get in touch with one of our experienced Chicago birth injury lawyers today. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC for more information.
