Questions?What Are Brain Damage Developmental Delays?
Brain damage developmental delays mean that an injury to a baby’s brain is affecting how they grow, move, or learn.
Newborn brain damage can occur before, during, or shortly after birth, often due to reduced oxygen and blood flow, untreated infections, or traumatic delivery.
These injuries may affect various parts of the brain and often go unnoticed. A brain damage developmental delay may become noticeable in the first months or years of life.
Recognizing these early challenges can help families find answers — and get critical support sooner. In some cases, medical negligence may have contributed to the injury.
A birth injury lawsuit can help families pursue financial compensation for lifelong care. Some infant brain damage cases result in $1 million or more, helping families afford therapy, equipment, and long-term support.
An experienced brain damage at birth lawyer can fight for the money your family deserves. We work with attorneys across the nation who can help families in all 50 states.
The experienced attorneys in our network have recovered over $1 billion for preventable birth injuries like brain damage.
Find out if we can help you — get a free case review right now.
How Does Brain Damage Cause Developmental Delays?
Brain damage developmental delays occur when injury disrupts the normal growth or function of areas involved in movement, speech, and learning.
The extent of the developmental delay depends on which parts of the brain are affected and how severe the injury is.
- Damaged motor control centers, affecting balance, muscle tone, and coordination
- Frontal lobe damage, which can impact problem-solving, attention, or emotions
- Injury to the speech or language regions, delaying sound formation or understanding
- White matter injury, which slows communication between different brain areas
These impairments may become noticeable as a child fails to meet expected milestones. Early diagnosis and therapy can often improve long-term outcomes, but many children with brain damage require ongoing support.
Can You Prevent Brain Damage Developmental Delays?
Not all developmental delays caused by brain damage can be prevented. A child’s long-term challenges often depend on how early the injury occurred and whether appropriate care was provided before, during, or shortly after birth.
In some cases, brain damage may have been avoidable with timely medical intervention. If doctors failed to recognize or respond to known risk factors, the injury may be the result of birth injury malpractice.
- Administering magnesium sulfate during preterm labor to protect the baby’s brain
- Monitoring fetal distress closely during labor and responding quickly
- Providing specialized care for premature infants, including respiratory and neurological support
- Treating maternal infections like chorioamnionitis promptly and thoroughly
- Using appropriate delivery methods, including emergency C-section when medically necessary
When medical providers fail, the resulting brain injury can lead to lifelong developmental delays. In these cases, families may be eligible for compensation from an infant brain damage settlement.
If you believe medical negligence may have caused your child’s brain damage, our team can help you understand your legal options.
Get a free legal case review right now to get started.
Types of Brain Damage Developmental Delay
Children with brain damage may experience different types of developmental delays depending on the location and severity of the injury. These delays often appear alongside other early signs of brain damage in babies, such as poor muscle tone, feeding difficulties, or unusual reflexes.
As the child grows, missed milestones often become more noticeable and concerning to families.
- Cognitive delays: Challenges with attention, memory, learning, or problem-solving
- Motor function delays: Difficulty with movement, such as sitting, crawling, or walking
- Sensory processing issues: Atypical responses to sounds, lights, textures, or other input
- Social and emotional delays: Trouble engaging with others, managing emotions, or forming relationships
- Speech and language delays: Difficulty making sounds, using words, or understanding language
Early intervention — including physical, occupational, and speech therapy — may help improve developmental outcomes and quality of life for children with brain injuries.
Early Signs of Brain Damage Developmental Delays
Every child develops at their own pace, but consistently missing milestones may be an early sign of brain damage. Some symptoms appear within the first few weeks of life, while others become easier to notice over time as developmental gaps widen.
Signs of a Brain Damage Developmental Delay in Newborns (0–3 Months)
Newborns with moderate to severe brain damage may show signs of neurological injury shortly after birth.
- Floppy or stiff muscles (hypotonia or hypertonia)
- Poor feeding or difficulty latching
- Seizures, twitching, or staring spells
- Unusual crying patterns like extreme irritability or high-pitched cries
- Weak or absent reflexes, such as sucking, rooting, or startle
These signs are often seen in babies who experienced complications during delivery and may occur alongside other birth injuries and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission.
Signs of Brain Damage Developmental Delays in Infants (3–9 Months)
In some cases, developmental delays caused by brain damage may not be noticeable until infants begin engaging more with their environment.
- Difficulty holding up the head without support
- Limited eye contact or reduced interest in surroundings
- Little or no movement in the arms or legs
- Muscle stiffness or floppy limbs
- Trouble rolling over or pushing up when lying on the stomach
Some babies may also favor one side of the body, which can be an early sign of motor impairment.
Signs of Brain Damage Developmental Delay in Toddlers (1–3 Years)
As children grow, delays caused by brain damage often affect walking, talking, and basic everyday skills.
- Delayed speech or difficulty using simple words
- Poor balance or frequent falls
- Problems interacting with others or showing limited emotional expression
- Struggling with tasks like stacking blocks or feeding themselves
- Trouble learning new things or following simple directions
- Unable to walk by 18 months or walking with an unusual gait
If you’re concerned about your child’s development, our experienced labor and delivery nurses can help you understand what to do next. It’s always free to talk with a member of our team.
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How Brain Damage Developmental Delays Affect Milestones
All babies grow at their own pace, but children with brain damage may need extra support to reach developmental milestones. Tracking your child’s progress is one of the best ways to recognize delays early and get help when it matters most.
Pediatricians often monitor milestones across these areas:
- Cognitive: Exploring objects, recognizing familiar people, showing curiosity
- Motor skills: Holding up the head, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking
- Self-help: Grasping toys, feeding, holding a cup, or attempting to dress
- Social and emotional: Smiling, responding to emotions, engaging with others
- Speech and language: Babbling, using words, understanding directions
Children with brain injuries may reach these milestones later than expected — or in a different order — depending on the type and severity of the damage.
Keeping a milestone journal or using a developmental checklist can help you spot early concerns and bring them to your child’s doctor.
If you’re concerned your child may be showing signs of a brain damage-related developmental delay, take our free milestone quiz.
IS YOUR CHILD MISSING DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES?
Take Our Milestones Quiz
Taking note of your child’s physical, social, and emotional skills can help you determine if they potentially suffered from an injury at birth. An early diagnosis can help your child get the treatment they need as soon as possible.
Q1: How old is your child?
0-2 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child hold their head steadily on their own?
- Q3: Can your child push themselves up when they are lying on their stomach?
- Q4: Has your child started to make smoother movements with their arms and legs?
- Q5: Does your child smile at other people?
- Q6: Can your child bring their hands to their mouth?
- Q7: Does your child turn their head when they hear a noise?
- Q8: Does your child coo or make gurgling noises?
- Q9: Does your child follow things with their eyes?
- Q10: Does your child try to look at their parents or caregivers?
- Q11: Does your child show boredom, cry, or fuss when engaged in an activity that hasn’t changed in a while?
3-4 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child hold their head steadily on their own?
- Q3: Does your child push down on their legs when their feet are on a flat surface?
- Q4: Has your child started to roll over from their stomach to their back?
- Q5: Can your child hold and shake a toy such as a rattle?
- Q6: Does your child bring their hands to their mouth?
- Q7: Does your child play with people and start to cry when the playing stops?
- Q8: Does your child smile spontaneously, especially at people?
- Q9: Does your child copy some movements and facial expressions of other people?
- Q10: Does your child babble with expressions and copy sounds they hear?
- Q11: Does your child cry in different ways to show hunger, pain, or tiredness?
- Q12: Does your child respond to affection like hugging or kissing?
- Q13: Does your child follow moving things with their eyes from side to side?
- Q14: Does your child recognize familiar people at a distance?
5-6 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child roll over on both sides (front to back/back to front)?
- Q3: Has your child begun to sit without support?
- Q4: Does your child rock back and forth?
- Q5: Can your child support their weight on their legs (and perhaps bounce) when standing?
- Q6: Has your child begun to pass things from one hand to the other?
- Q7: Does your child bring objects such as toys to their mouth?
- Q8: Does your child know if someone is not familiar to them and is a stranger?
- Q9: Does your child respond to other people’s emotions, such as a smile or a frown?
- Q10: Does your child enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror?
- Q11: Does your child look at things around them?
- Q12: Does your child respond to sounds they hear by making sounds themselves?
- Q13: Does your child make sounds to show joy or displeasure?
- Q14: Does your child respond to their own name?
- Q15: Has your child started to string vowels together, such as "ah," "eh," or "oh," or started to say consonant sounds such as "m" or "b"?
- Q16: Has your child begun to laugh?
7-9 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child crawl?
- Q3: Can your child stand while holding on to something to support them?
- Q4: Can your child sit without support?
- Q5: Can your child pull themselves up to stand?
- Q6: Does your child play peekaboo?
- Q7: Can your child move things from one hand to the other?
- Q8: Can your child pick small things up, such as a piece of cereal, with their thumb and index finger?
- Q9: Does your child look for things that they see you hide?
- Q10: Does your child watch the path of something as it falls?
- Q11: Does your child show fear when around strangers?
- Q12: Does your child become clingy with adults who are familiar to them?
- Q13: Does your child have favorite toys?
- Q14: Does your child use their fingers to point?
- Q15: Does your child understand “no”?
- Q16: Does your child make a lot of repetitive sounds, such as “mamama” or “bababa”?
- Q17: Does your child copy the sounds and gestures of other people?
10-12 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child stand alone with no support?
- Q3: Does your child walk while holding on to furniture?
- Q4: Can your child take a few steps without holding on to anything?
- Q5: Can your child get into a sitting position without any help?
- Q6: Does your child bang two things together when playing?
- Q7: Does your child poke with their index finger?
- Q8: Has your child started to use things like hairbrushes or drinking cups correctly?
- Q9: Does your child find hidden objects easily?
- Q10: Does your child play peekaboo or pat-a-cake?
- Q11: Does your child become shy or nervous around strangers?
- Q12: Does your child repeat actions or sounds to get attention?
- Q13: Does your child put out an arm or leg to help when getting dressed?
- Q14: Does your child cry when a parent leaves the room?
- Q15: Does your child show that they have favorite things or people?
- Q16: Does your child show fear?
- Q17: Does your child say things such as “mama,” “dada,” or “uh-oh”?
- Q18: Does your child try to say the words you say?
- Q19: Has your child started to use gestures like waving or shaking their head “no”?
13-18 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child walk by themselves?
- Q3: Does your child walk up stairs and run?
- Q4: Does your child pull toys while walking?
- Q5: Can your child drink from a cup on their own?
- Q6: Can your child eat with a spoon on their own?
- Q7: Can your child help undress themselves?
- Q8: Does your child have occasional temper tantrums?
- Q9: Does your child show affection to familiar people?
- Q10: Does your child become clingy in new situations?
- Q11: Does your child explore their environment alone with parents close by?
- Q12: Can your child say several single words?
- Q13: Can your child say and shake their head “no”?
- Q14: Does your child point to show things to other people?
- Q15: Does your child scribble?
- Q16: Does your child know what ordinary products such as phones, spoons, and brushes are used for?
- Q17: Can your child follow one-step commands such as “sit down” or “stand up”?
- Q18: Does your child play with a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed it?
19-23 MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Has your child begun to run?
- Q3: Has your child kicked a ball?
- Q4: Can your child climb down and onto furniture on their own?
- Q5: Can your child walk up and down stairs while holding on?
- Q6: Can your child stand on their tiptoes?
- Q7: Has your child thrown a ball overhand?
- Q8: Does your child copy others, especially people older than them?
- Q9: Does your child get excited around other children?
- Q10: Has your child shown more independence as they've aged?
- Q11: Does your child do what they were told not to do and become defiant?
- Q12: Does your child point to things when they are named?
- Q13: Does your child know names of familiar people or body parts?
- Q14: Does your child say 2 to 4-word sentences?
- Q15: Does your child repeat words they hear?
- Q16: Does your child complete sentences and rhymes in familiar books?
- Q17: Does your child name items in books, such as dogs, cats, and birds?
- Q18: Does your child play simple pretend games?
- Q19: Has your child started to use one hand more than the other?
- Q20: Has your child begun to sort shapes and colors?
- Q21: Does your child follow 2-step instructions, such as “pick up your hat and put it on your head?”
24+ MONTHS DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES QUIZ
- Q2: Can your child run easily?
- Q3: Can your child climb?
- Q4: Can your child walk up and down stairs with one foot on each step?
- Q5: Can your child dress and undress themselves?
- Q6: Does your child show affection for friends without being told?
- Q7: Does your child take turns when playing games?
- Q8: Does your child show concern when others are crying?
- Q9: Does your child understand the idea of “mine" and "theirs"?
- Q10: Does your child show many different emotions?
- Q11: Does your child copy adults and friends?
- Q12: Does your child separate easily from their parents?
- Q13: Does your child get upset when there is a major change in their routine?
- Q14: Does your child say words such as “I,” “me,” “we,” “you,” and some plural nouns?
- Q15: Can your child say their first name, age, and gender?
- Q16: Can your child carry on a conversation with 2 to 3 sentences?
- Q17: Can your child work toys with buttons and other moving parts?
- Q18: Does your child play pretend with dolls, animals, or people?
- Q19: Can your child finish 3 or 4 piece puzzles?
- Q20: Can your child copy a circle when drawing?
- Q21: Can your child turn pages of a book one page at a time?
- Q22: Can your child turn door handles?
Diagnosing a Brain Damage Developmental Delay
A brain damage developmental delay is usually diagnosed through a combination of screenings, medical history, and specialist evaluations. Doctors often begin by assessing developmental progress during routine checkups.
These early screenings focus on how a child is developing in areas like movement, speech, learning, and social interaction. If concerns arise, more detailed evaluations may be recommended.
- Developmental checklists to compare your child’s progress to typical age ranges
- Neuroimaging tests, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or cranial ultrasound
- Neurological exams to check reflexes, muscle tone, posture, and coordination
- Referrals to specialists, such as pediatric neurologists or developmental pediatricians
Early diagnosis is important. Identifying brain damage and any related delays allows families to begin therapies and support that may improve long-term outcomes.
Treating Brain Damage Developmental Delays
There is no cure for brain damage, but early and consistent treatment can help many children make meaningful progress.
The goal of treatment is to support your child’s development, improve their quality of life, and help them reach their full potential. Treatment plans are tailored to each child’s unique needs based on the type and severity of their delays.
- Assistive devices, such as braces, walkers, or communication tools
- Behavioral therapy to support emotional development and social skills
- Occupational therapy to help with feeding, dressing, writing, and other daily tasks
- Physical therapy to improve strength, balance, and coordination
- Special education services to provide individualized learning support
- Speech therapy to improve language skills and address feeding or swallowing issues
These therapies can be essential to a child’s long-term development, but the financial burden can be overwhelming. If your child’s brain damage was caused by medical negligence, your family may be eligible for compensation to help cover treatment and care.
Get Legal Help for Your Child’s Brain Damage Developmental Delay
Caring for a child with permanent brain damage developmental delays can be overwhelming — emotionally, physically, and financially.
Families often face years of therapy, specialist appointments, and support services to help their child reach their full potential.
The Birth Injury Justice Center works with experienced attorneys who can help families in all 50 states. Our trusted network of lawyers has secured more than $1 billion for families affected by preventable birth injuries.
Call us at (800) 914-1562 right now or fill out this form to see if we may be able to help you seek the justice and compensation your family deserves.
Brain Damage Developmental Delays FAQs
Can brain damage cause developmental delay?
Yes, brain damage can disrupt normal development by affecting areas of the brain responsible for movement, speech, learning, or behavior.
Depending on the location and severity of the injury, children may experience delays in reaching milestones such as sitting, walking, talking, or problem-solving.
Early intervention can help improve outcomes, but many children with brain damage need long-term support.
What are the 4 types of developmental delays?
Developmental delays are grouped based on the specific skills or functions that are affected.
The 4 main types of developmental delays are:
- Cognitive delays: Difficulty thinking, learning, or solving problems
- Motor delays: Trouble with movement and coordination, such as crawling or walking
- Speech and language delays: Problems with speaking, understanding, or using language
- Social and emotional delays: Difficulty interacting with others or managing emotions
Some children may experience delays in more than one area, requiring different types of treatment to help improve their quality of life.
How can brain damage affect a child's development?
Brain damage can interfere with how the brain sends and receives signals, which may affect a child’s ability to move, speak, learn, or form relationships.
For example, damage to motor control areas may lead to poor muscle tone or trouble walking, while injury to speech or memory centers can make it harder for a child to communicate or retain information.
Can brain damage have delayed symptoms?
Yes, some symptoms of brain damage in babies may not appear until months or even years after birth.
In mild cases, delays may not become clear until a child starts missing milestones or struggles with tasks expected for their age. This is why regular developmental screenings are important, even if the child seemed healthy at birth.
If you’re concerned about your child’s development, our nurses are here to help. Call (800) 914-1562 or Click to Live Chat now to talk with a nurse in private.
What is one of the earliest symptoms of brain damage?
One of the earliest symptoms of brain damage in newborns is abnormal muscle tone — either very stiff (hypertonia) or very floppy (hypotonia). Other early signs can include poor feeding, seizures, or a weak cry.
These symptoms may appear within the first hours or days of life, especially in babies who experienced birth complications. However, many children don’t show symptoms until they begin missing developmental milestones.
If your baby is showing signs of brain damage, and the injury was preventable, your family may qualify for money to help cover the cost of care.
Get a free case review right now to see if you may be eligible.
