The arrival of a new baby should be a joyous time, but for some parents it brings heartbreak. Cerebral palsy affects 10,000 babies born in the United States each year. This condition affects body movement, balance and posture and has been defined as paralysis of the brain. In some cases, cerebral palsy can lead to mental retardation and other serious medical problems.
Cerebral palsy occurs when damage is done to the brain. This damage can be a result of many different factors, such as infection during pregnancy, premature birth, seizures, lack of oxygen, a long labor and delivery or birth defects. Brain damage can occur during pregnancy or the birth process. Sometimes a brain injury can happen shortly after birth. For many parents, it is difficult to identify what caused the brain damage in the child.
Some of the causes of cerebral palsy are preventable. For example, a birth injury that occurs during the delivery process could have been avoided with the proper medical care. Medical errors are to blame for many cerebral palsy cases. Medical providers who did not give reasonable care to the mother and baby can ultimately cause brain damage in the infant. Leaving a baby too long in the birth canal, failing to treat seizures and using forceps or vacuum extraction can all lead to this life altering disorder.
A lawsuit can be brought against the physicians who made the medical mistakes that harmed the infant. Caregivers should not have to bear the financial burden associated with cerebral palsy when negligence was a factor in the illness. If the cerebral palsy lawsuit is successful, the monetary settlement can be substantial.
