Medical Malpractice is one of the causes of Cerebral Palsy.
Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic conditions that disrupt and
impair the brain's ability to properly control body movement and
muscle coordination. When one or more specific areas of the brain
are damaged during fetal development, childbirth, or the first few
years of life, a child may develop cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is
a non-contagious, non-progressive condition for which there is no
known cure. While the exact cause of cerebral palsy is often
unknown, many cerebral palsy cases are preventable.
Statistics indicate that approximately 500,000 Americans are
currently living with cerebral palsy. Every year in the United
States, approximately 4,500 infants develop cerebral palsy. The
majority of cerebral palsy patients develop their condition during
the childbirth process. An estimated thirty percent of all patients
develop cerebral palsy during fetal development. Approximately ten
to twenty percent of all cerebral palsy patients acquire the
condition after birth.
There are a number of maternal and fetal factors that can lead to
cerebral palsy in a new born. Certain maternal infections, certain
medical conditions, Rh incompatibility, fetal anoxia, fetal stroke,
and other complications have been found to cause cerebral palsy.
These are all risk factors that can be recognized and addressed by a
medical professional during pregnancy. Cerebral palsy has also been
linked to improper dating of the pregnancy, leading to pre- or
post-delivery. Cerebral palsy acquired during fetal development is
often preventable when a physician responds appropriately to
maternal and fetal risks.
Cerebral palsy can develop when the flow of blood and oxygen to a
child's brain is disrupted during childbirth. This disruption can
occur as a result of a long labor, low amniotic fluid, a twisted
umbilical cord, large fetal head size, hemorrhage, newborn lung
problems, inter-cranial bleeding, and more. Trauma to a child's head
caused by a difficult forceps or vacuum delivery can also cause
cerebral palsy. Many of these childbirth cerebral palsy risk factors
are preventable if a medical professional acts with prudence and
care to promptly and appropriately treat and prevent these risk
factors.
There are different types of cerebral palsy: spastic cerebral palsy
produces difficult and stiff movements; ataxic cerebral palsy causes
loss of depth perception and balance; and athetoid cerebral palsy
produces uncontrolled or involuntary movements. A patient with
cerebral palsy can suffer one or more of these sub-types. Cerebral
palsy can cause mild impairments that minimally restrict one's
lifestyle or may result in severe physical impairments and mental
retardation. While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, there is a
myriad of treatment and rehabilitative methods intended to allow
each patient with cerebral palsy to achieve their full potential in
life.
If you believe that your child has developed cerebral palsy, you may
wish to speak with a caring and competent cerebral palsy attorney
who can evaluate your child's case to determine if medical
negligence contributed to your child's condition. To learn more
about cerebral palsy, please contact us to speak with a qualified
attorney in your area.
Contact us by
Email or call us today at (401) 788-0600 to speak with a
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