Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s muscle coordination, mobility, balance and learning. The severity of the symptoms vary from person to person, and often occur as a result of a birth injury to the brain.

What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is caused by a disruption during brain development. It can be caused by a head injury during infancy, by an infection in the mother during pregnancy or by a birth injury.

The most common birth injuries that can lead to cerebral palsy include:  
•    Forceps, clamps, vacuum pumps – birth tools used by doctors that can place enough pressure on a baby’s head to possibly lead to brain trauma
•    Adverse reactions to Pitocin, the medication used to speed up labor 
•    Brain bleeding and hemorrhages caused by fetal distress when a baby is stuck too long in the birth canal
•    Oxygen deprivation- if a baby lacks oxygen for too long, the brain will be damaged
•    Blood pressure fluctuations
•    Placental abruption – when the placenta separates from the uterus before birth it can lead to bleeding, shock and brain damage or death.

How Does Cerebral Palsy Affect A Child?
Once an infant is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the condition will be with that person for the rest of their life. While the degree of severity varies from person to person, medical interventions and therapies will be necessary in order for that child to live as normally as possible.  Some of the ways that cerebral palsy may affect an individual’s health are:

•    Learning disabilities
•    Dental problems
•    Delayed development
•    Seizures
•    Spinal deformities
•    Vision problems
•    Hearing problems
•    Speech impairment
•    Osteoarthritis 
•    Drooling 
•    Incontinence
•    Issues with sensory perception
•    Infections
•    Anxiety, depression and emotional issues
•    Pain

The prognosis for people diagnosed with cerebral palsy includes struggles and challenges that will have to be faced for the rest of their lives. In addition to the emotional strain this can add, the extra medical treatments and accommodations necessary for someone with cerebral palsy come at a very real financial cost.

How Can A Lawyer Help If My Child Has Cerebral Palsy?
If your baby experienced a birth injury to the brain during a difficult birth and then received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, please fill out the form on this page to have an experienced medical malpractice attorney determine whether you have a case.  At Siri & Glimstad, there is never any cost upfront to you for our representation. Our attorneys will evaluate your case for free to see if you have a claim. We get paid only if we win for you!