Cerebral palsy is a motor condition that affects thousands of babies each year. This condition usually necessitates lifelong care and may put financial and emotional strain on the affected family. Cerebral palsy affects a person’s muscles; this means that simple things that most people take for granted such as walking, holding, eating, swallowing, breathing and talking may be difficult for victims who have the condition.
Was My Child’s Cerebral Palsy Preventable?
Cerebral palsy has numerous causes and may manifest itself in different ways. Having said that, the condition usually happens during childbirth and may be attributed to negligence on the part of the healthcare provider. When a child is deprived of oxygen during labor, parts of the brain which need oxygen for proper functioning may shut down permanently. These parts control motor movement, speech and other vital body functions. This condition is known as hypoxia, and can happen due to one of the following reasons:
- Leaving the child in the birth canal for too long.
- Using forceps to deliver the baby, damaging the skull or brain.
- Using a vacuum pump to get the baby out of the birth canal in the event of a difficult delivery.
- Failure to detect the baby’s umbilical cord wrapping around its neck, cutting off oxygen supply to the brain.
- Failure to treat seizures in a newborn baby after delivery.
- Not responding in a timely manner to the mother or child’s distress signs during childbirth.
- Failure to perform a cesarean section in a timely manner in the event of fetal distress.
Most people put a lot of trust in doctors during sensitive procedures such as childbirth. At the same time, mothers in labor may find it hard to be assertive during childbirth due to exhaustion and confusion. As a result, they trust the doctor to take care of them and their child as is expected in such a situation.
Cerebral palsy happens mostly due to medical malpractice and shouldn’t be chalked off to some genetic or congenital abnormality. If you suspect that lack of proper care may have resulted in your child’s cerebral palsy, you should get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible.
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