Why Pediatric Misdiagnoses Are Particularly Dangerous

Diagnosing children can be difficult for many pediatricians, especially if they're too young to answer questions like, "Where does it hurt?" However, it's important that the correct diagnosis is found in time.

A misdiagnosis can take several forms, like telling someone they have a less severe condition than they actually do, telling them they have a more severe condition, or choosing the wrong ailment from a category (stomach cancer instead of kidney cancer, for example).

Why are pediatric misdiagnoses even more dangerous than those that happen to adults? Let's look at a few reasons why diagnosing a child with the wrong condition or illness can be dangerous or, in some cases, even life-threatening.

Children's Conditions Deterioriate Faster

As children don't have the fully developed immune systems of adults, they tend to get sicker a lot faster than an adult would with the same condition. This is one of the major reasons why misdiagnosing a child is even more dangerous than giving the wrong diagnosis to an adult.

Undiagnosed pneumonia or RSV, for example, can result in a rapid decline if the child is diagnosed with a cold or something minor instead. An underdeveloped immune system and organs mean that a child will need to receive treatment faster before things get out of control.

In adults with fully developed immune systems, it may take months or even years for a condition like cancer to grow out of control and reach the point where it's too far advanced for treatment to be effective. With children, it could be a matter of days or even hours.

Long Term Health Consequences

As children's bodies are still growing, they're at greater risk for long-term health damage as a result of a missed diagnosis. Following on with the pneumonia example from above, a child's developing lungs could be permanently scarred or damaged if the condition gets worse too quickly because it wasn't caught in time.

It might not always be an acute condition that causes long-term complications, either. The parent of a child with bad posture might hear, "Well, kids just do that sometimes, it's nothing to worry about," with no additional checks or tests completed.

If it turns out that the child has scoliosis instead, it might not be discovered until it's too late. Surgical operations to correct spinal curvature (like those caused by scoliosis) can only be fully repaired in adolescence before the spine fully develops.

In some cases, an experienced medical malpractice lawyer like the attorneys at Thomas Law Offices can help you get damages to cover the cost of the unnecessary treatment, but they won't be able to reverse the physical, emotional, or psychological damage sustained from the doctor's error.

Traumatic Experience for Child

Children are taught that doctors are their friends and only want to help them feel better. They also instinctively love their parents and trust that they have the child's best interests at heart.

If both their parents and the doctor tell them that everything's okay and there isn't anything to worry about, they'll believe it. However, if they start to feel worse or are later told that their condition is much more serious, it can be a very traumatic experience.

This trauma can, in turn, lead to developmental issues, feelings of helplessness, fear, confusion, and other negative emotions. A potential lifetime of various emotional and stress-related disorders can be caused by a doctor overlooking a symptom, choosing not to perform a test, or making a simple mistake.

Potential for Lifelong Mistrust of Doctors

A child who experiences a severe medical episode due to a doctor's error is not likely to trust the medical profession as a whole after that. A negative experience, especially if it's painful or potentially life-threatening, can result in the child growing up to be an adult who refuses to see doctors because of that lack of trust.

The result is a potentially unhealthy adult who could develop cancer or another serious illness who doesn't seek medical attention until it's too late. Instead of a stage 1 cancer being detected through a routine blood test at an annual physical, they're taken in by a friend or loved one after it's reached stage 4 and beyond treatment.

Improper Treatments Leading to Complications

We've talked a lot about pediatric diagnoses that don't catch illnesses or diseases in time, but the other side of the coin can be a lot worse. Imagine a child who's told he has a potentially fatal cancer and later learns that they actually only have a peritoneal cyst or another easily cured condition.

Most adults would be overjoyed to hear the news, but a child's brain isn't likely to be developed enough to appreciate the good news, especially if they've undergone multiple procedures. If the child has received radiation or chemo, they could be stuck with lifelong aftereffects.

The other type of misdiagnosis to consider is the non-physical. A child could be told that they have ADHD or another behavioral disorder and receive medication to "correct" the wrong condition. This can lead to a massive difference in outcomes, even compared to not receiving treatment at all.

The Dangers of Pediatric Misdiagnoses

Pediatric misdiagnoses, including physical or behavioral conditions, can be extremely dangerous due to the underdeveloped nature of children's organs, bodies, and brains. This prevents them from reacting or fighting a condition the way an adult would.

They can result in lifelong trauma, distrust of doctors or hospitals, worsened patient outcomes, lifelong conditions, acute reactions, inappropriate courses of treatment, and (in some cases) even death.

Although a medical malpractice lawyer can help recover damages and make sure your child's medical bills are covered, they can't replace your child if the misdiagnosis is severe enough.

To help prevent these types of mistakes, it's recommended to seek a second opinion from a different doctor, insist on tests to confirm the diagnosis, or ask for a specialist when applicable to protect your child's health. Do whatever it takes to protect your child from harm.