Watching your child struggle with infant apraxia would be understandably difficult for any parent. This scenario may become even more stressful if you learn that your child’s apraxia was the result of a doctor or hospital committing medical malpractice. Unfortunately, that is the case for many children that are diagnosed with infant apraxia. If your child developed infant apraxia due to medical malpractice, consult with an experienced attorney for infant apraxia today.
Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA are dedicated to providing you and your child with the legal representation needed to pursue your legal claim. A doctor that betrayed your trust and acted negligently when treating your child should be held accountable for their actions. To schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options, contact the Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676, or contact us online.
Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Infant Apraxia
Infant apraxia also referred to as childhood apraxia of speech, is a disorder that impairs a child’s motor speech functions. Specifically, infant apraxia is a condition where the brain has problems sending signals for a child to recreate the oral movements necessary to turn sounds into coherent words and sentences. As a result of infant apraxia, a child could be very difficult to understand when they are speaking.
There are a number of signs and symptoms of infant apraxia, and not all children with this disorder will exhibit the same symptoms. That is why it is necessary to understand when a child has developed infant apraxia or is simply exhibiting speech patterns common to all children. The following is a list of signs and symptoms of apraxia that an infant may exhibit:
- A child failing or being unable to coo or babble
- A delayed onset of when the child speaks their firsts words or the child never speaking at all
- A child cannot recreate sounds that make vowels and consonants
- Difficulty with feeding
It is important to note that as children grow into their toddler ages, they may experience different symptoms of apraxia that were not displayed when they were infants. For example, if a toddler avoids the use of long words and sentences in favor of shorter words and phrases, this can be an indicator of apraxia. Other signs and symptoms of apraxia that may affect a toddler include:
- Inability to mimic speech
- Often pronouncing words incorrectly
- A consistent monotonous tone when speaking
- Avoiding speaking in favor of pointing and grunting
- Using mostly vowels when speaking and avoiding consonants
To determine whether a child is suffering from infant apraxia, there are a number of tests that a physician may perform. For example, a hearing test may be necessary to determine whether the child has apraxia or simply has difficulty hearing. If the child does not have a loss of hearing, an oral motor evaluation or sound evaluation could be used to diagnose them for apraxia.
Under certain circumstances, a child could be misdiagnosed with childhood dysarthria. Childhood dysarthria is another type of speech disorder that can affect a child. However, while some symptoms of dysarthria are similar to apraxia, others can be more or less severe. A misdiagnosis can affect the ability to get your child the treatment they need.
To learn more about the causes of infant apraxia, continue reading and speak with an experienced medical malpractice attorney today.
Common Causes of Infant Apraxia
Studies are still being conducted to determine all the causes of infant apraxia. However, it is believed that a traumatic brain injury is one likely cause of a child developing apraxia. A traumatic brain injury could occur under a number of circumstances. One possibility that could result in a baby to suffer a brain injury is a doctor being negligent during the delivery process. For example, the incorrect usage of a birth-assisting tool is one way that a doctor could cause a baby harm.
If a mother has a difficult labor, a physician may use forceps or a vacuum suction to pull the child from the womb. If the physician improperly attaches the device to the head of a child or uses excessive force, the child could suffer a serious brain injury and develop apraxia. If you believe your doctor caused your child a birth injury that developed into infant apraxia, our firm can help you pursue a lawsuit.
Contact Our Experienced Miami Birth Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Potential Lawsuit
If your child was a victim of medical malpractice that caused them to develop infant apraxia, contact an experienced Miami birth injury lawyer today. Medical malpractice lawyer Prosper Shaked has experience dealing with a wide range of personal injury cases, and he is prepared to utilize this knowledge to aggressively pursue your claim. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your case, contact Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA at (305) 694-2676.