Cerebral Palsy – What You Should Know

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, which usually occurs during fetal development and the birthing process. Although symptoms of cerebral palsy are unique in each case and may improve over time, cerebral palsy is a permanent condition that often requires a lifetime of specialized care.

Genetic defects or developmental dysfunctions, such as congenital brain damage, can sometimes be responsible for brain abnormalities that ultimately cause cerebral palsy. However, cerebral palsy also be the result of a birth injury caused by medical malpractice.

The most common cause of birth injury (cerebral palsy) is a lack of oxygen to the infant's brain during delivery. Inadequate amounts of oxygen may occur because of prolonged labor, delays in performing a caesarean section and breech delivery, a situation that occurs when the baby is delivered feet or buttocks first. The baby may also be too big to fit comfortably through the birth canal or become entangled in the umbilical cord, which can cut off oxygen and/or blood flow to the infant's brain. This situation usually leads to severe birth injuries, most often cerebral palsy.

Another serious birth injury that can lead to cerebral palsy is fetal stroke, a condition that causes brain damage as a result of bleeding in the brain and subsequent brain damage. Fetal stoke can be caused by prolonged labor, lack of oxygen flow and a number of other birth injuries, including the use of forceps and vacuum extractors.

Careful monitoring and intervention throughout the pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery are essential to avoid these and other forms of birth injuries. A medical doctor should carefully watch both the mother and the child during pregnancy to ensure that oxygen and blood supplies to the fetus have not been compromised. If a physician observes any changes in the fetal monitor that may indicate distress, the physician has a responsibility to intervene in order to avoid a serious birth injury that could lead to cerebral palsy.

Injury lawyers represent families whose children are suffering due to a birth injury that was caused by a doctor's error. If you believe that your child's birth injury is a result of medical negligence, you should contact a birth injury and/or personal injury lawyer who will make it his/her mission to recover the necessary compensation that the family deserves for their existing medical bills and future expenses associated with caring for a child with cerebral palsy. Many of the leading personal injury attorneys can also help families with legal issues arising from other negligently inflicted injuries, such as those resulting from motor vehicle accidents, use of defective drugs, and strict products liability.