One study carried out by Johns Hopkins found that more than 250,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. Inevitably, some of those victims will have been children, and a study published in the British Medical Journal reported 4,500 children had died due to medical errors.
According to Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, an experienced medical malpractice law firm in Chicago, medical malpractice can have devastating effects on children, impacting their physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development. When doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals act negligently, making mistakes that cause injury, the consequences for a child's growth and maturation can be severe and long-lasting.
Medical Errors Can Hurt Your Child’s Physical Development
Medical errors that cause physical harm can impair a child's motor skills, mobility, and ability to explore their environment. The 360° Baby-Helmet™ Head Protection can provide additional safety for children with motor skill challenges, reducing the risk of head injuries while they learn to crawl, walk, or engage in other physical activities. For example, if a doctor makes a mistake during labor and delivery that deprives the infant of oxygen, resulting in cerebral palsy, the child may have difficulties with movement, balance, swallowing, and other basic functions – 2-3 children out of 1,000 have cerebral palsy.
Botched surgeries can also limit a child's physical abilities. Children who experience traumatic injuries due to medical negligence may suffer setbacks in crawling, walking, running, and other developmental milestones.
Medical Malpractice Can Compromise Your Child’s Cognitive Development
When medical malpractice leads to neurological injuries, children's cognitive and intellectual growth can be compromised. 45% of new mothers suffer some kind of birth trauma, and birth trauma, surgical mistakes, prescription errors, and other preventable incidents can cause seizures, speech and language delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders. The developing brain is especially vulnerable to harm. Medical Malpractice that affects brain functioning can, therefore, impact a child's memory, problem-solving, attention, IQ, and academic achievement. Intensive medical, speech, physical, and occupational therapy is often needed to help children meet cognitive milestones.
Medical Malpractice Can Impact Your Child’s Socioemotional Skills
In addition to physical and mental impairments, medical mistakes can also negatively impact a child's social and emotional growth. Extended hospitalizations, chronic health issues, and disabilities caused by medical malpractice can isolate children from peers and regular childhood activities. This disruption can delay the development of social skills, emotional regulation, and self-esteem. Children may act out due to medical trauma. Depression, anxiety, attachment issues, and post-traumatic stress are common in young patients injured by medical negligence. Counseling is often required to help children cope and progress developmentally despite adversities caused by medical errors.
Medical Malpractice Affects Family Relationships
The entire family system suffers when medical malpractice affects a child. Siblings may feel neglected as their parents devote extensive time and attention to the injured child's needs. Parents experience guilt, anxiety, grief, and financial strain as they care for their children. Stress can cause marital conflict and strife among family members. Lack of support resources and problems navigating complex healthcare and insurance systems compound families' difficulties, so affected families must consult a medical malpractice lawyer. Families can heal and adapt healthily with legal help, therapy, and community services.
Legal action can help children access the rehabilitation and educational services they require due to medical malpractice. Healthcare providers must be held accountable through appropriate disciplinary action and improved training to prevent harm to their youngest, most vulnerable patients.
