What is cerebral palsy and can it occur as a result of birth injury?
Cerebral palsy (also known as CP) is a condition that’s caused by damage or abnormal development of an individual’s brain. This affects the child’s ability to control their muscles. It can range from being mild to severely debilitating.
Birth Injury Leading to CP
Brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can happen before the child is born. It also can occur during childbirth. It once was thought to have been caused by a lack of oxygen during the birth process. Scientists now believe that a lack of oxygen only accounts for a small percentage of the cases. It also can occur within about a month to a few years of the child’s birth. The key is that it involves damage that happens while the child’s brain is developing.
When the damage occurs before or during birth it’s known as congenital CP. Up to 85 to 90 percent of cases are congenital. Many times, the cause for this isn’t known. Regardless, it’s a difficult emotional matter for everyone who is involved.
How Birth Injury Leads to CP
A birth injury can happen right before the labor begins, during childbirth, or shortly after childbirth. The American Pregnancy Association states that around 20 percent of cerebral palsy patients sustained these injuries during birth. However, it’s important to realize that some doctors didn’t recognize the issues that may lead to CP right away. Symptoms may not become clear for months in some cases.
When the medical team makes a mistake during delivery it often means that there is a matter of seconds or minutes to correct this mistake or that there’s no way to fix it. The physician is the responsible party in such a situation and can be held legally accountable for their actions or inaction. If this has occurred to your child or to someone you know, it’s a good idea to reach out to a legal professional for assistance on the next step you should take in this process.
When you decide that you’d like to get legal assistance, you’d benefit from doing your research on the top legal teams in your area who handle birth injury cases. This way, you’ll know that they have experience and knowledge in this field. You’ll be able to rest easy knowing that they’ll do everything in their capacity to help you get the compensation that you deserve after your child suffers a birth injury.