Cerebral Palsy: A Scary Diagnosis for Parents

 Posted on December 17, 2015 in Personal Injury

Pregnancy and childbirth are two very special experiences in a women’s life. Both should be treated with care. Unfortunately, several events can occur that can harm mother and baby, most notably during labor and delivery.

Medical advances, such as scans and analysis of amniotic fluid, have enabled more detailed monitoring during pregnancy. Yet serious health issues can still occur. During birth, a trusted medical professional may deviate from the proper standards of care and cause a permanent injury with his or her mistake. With close to 4 million births in 2013, this demonstrates just how many babies could be at risk.

If you have a child who has received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, please contact a compassionate attorney with a practice area in personal injury to discuss your situation. You may be able to obtain a monetary judgement in your favor which would go a long way in covering the extensive medical and therapy costs associated with this diagnosis.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that permanently affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. CP is usually caused by brain damage which can then, in turn, cause a host of other medical issues affecting speech, hearing, and vision—all which can lead to learning disabilities.

Traditionally, people associate CP with babies being starved of oxygen at the time of birth. Although that still rings true, there are several more ways it can be caused. Many of the causes can be attributed to a preventable medical mistake. Additionally, many cases are the result of problems during pregnancy when a fetus' brain is either damaged or does not develop normally in the early stages of life. Maternal health problems and situations where medical professionals respond improperly in an emergency situation, such as fetal distress (alarming heart rates), can cause life-long injuries to infants.

Other forms of CP can occur due to the following and are also reasons to seek legal advice in the event a misdiagnosis took place by the mother’s obstetric medical team:

• Infections of the brain—meningitis or encephalitis during infancy;
• Injuries to the brain;
• Problem with blood flow to the brain; and
• Pre-term babies.

Treatment Plan

Once formally diagnosed, therapy costs for cerebral palsy can be excessive. Therefore, if a medical professional committed a negligent act by either making a grievous error in treatment or failure to diagnose, he or she should be held accountable. Retaining the services of an experienced DuPage County personal injury attorney is crucial to making the strongest case possible. With offices throughout Illinois, the attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can assist you. Call today to schedule a complimentary first consultation to discuss your case.

Sources:

http://cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/cerebral_palsy.html

http://cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/causes.html