This truly devastating condition is the result of an injury to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. There can be many factors involved and cerebral palsy causes are numerous and varied. One such cause is medical malpractice however the main cause statistically is a failure of the brain to properly develop due to naturally occurring phenomena.
Most cases of infant brain damage are put down to congenital malformation, particularly when there is no evidence of medical malpractice or clinical negligence. When this condition is identified in a newborn child it is not typically associated with medical mistreatment. It is often difficult to establish the cause of ‘birth defects’ which can even occur when the mother has strictly followed medical advice. There are however some factors that can be considered as cerebral palsy causes and may predispose an infant to such injury:-
- mother coming into contact with certain chemicals such as alcohol, cigarettes and cocaine
- mother coming into contact with certain physical infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis
- mother experiencing severe physical trauma during pregnancy
- pre-mature birth
- low weight at birth
Unfortunately there is also a list of mistakes that can be made by healthcare professionals during delivery of a new baby that are known cerebral palsy causes including :-
- lack of oxygen due to being left in the birth canal for longer than appropriate
- failure to properly treat or even recognize seizures post delivery
- failure to notice a prolapsed umbilical cord which can affect oxygen supply
- unnecessarily excessive use of vacuum extraction.
- unnecessary or excessive use of delivery forceps
- failure to identify the need for caesarean section when the fetus is distressed
- not correctly responding to changes in the fetal heart rate and other vital signs.
- failure to plan a C-Section for a baby with heavy weight
- failure to properly respond to the mother should she have an increase in blood pressure or toxemia
- failure to identify and treat jaundice or meningitis
In addition to those items listed above, the following matters whilst not necessarily being cerebral palsy causes, are reasons for concern :-
- birth using forceps
- emergency birth by C-Section
- CPR after birth
- immediate transfer to an intensive care unit
- seizures post birth or within the first 4 days of life
- special or unusual testing after birth, such as an MRI scan, CT scan or Brain scan
- introduction of oxygen to assist breathing post birth
- summoning of an expert practitioner to care for your baby
It is often difficult for a parent to determine if medical malpractice has led to their children’s specific problems. Only through the research of a legal team such as ours can a parent know for sure and the cause can be properly ascertained. If you have reason to think your child’s injury was caused by medical negligence or as a result of medical malpractice then it is vital you take legal advice as soon as possible. Complete the contact form and one of our friendly professionals will be in touch to offer you free legal advice with no obligation to go any further.
