Cerebral palsy is a potentially life-altering condition that may affect newborns from the moment they enter the world. No parent in Pennsylvania wants to imagine that their unborn child may be afflicted with a serious medical condition in infancy, but cerebral palsy is a medical issue that can manifest at the time of birth. While in some cases a child’s inter utero development and exposure to illness may result in a cerebral palsy diagnosis, this condition can also occur when mistakes and problems happen during labor and delivery.
Cerebral palsy is caused by problems with the brain that translate into problems with the body and muscles. A child who is deprived of oxygen during the labor and delivery process may suffer cerebral palsy. While the symptoms of cerebral palsy can be mild in some, for others the condition can impact their abilities of independent locomotion, communication and cognitive power.
Certain factors at birth may increase a child’s risk of being born with cerebral palsy, such as being in the breech position, arriving before their due date and suffering complications during labor. A doctor who is monitoring an expectant mother and unborn child should be aware of these issues and take steps to prevent complications such as cerebral palsy from occurring.
While some cases of cerebral palsy are the fault of no one, others occur because medical professionals fail in their duties to properly monitor and care for their patients. While this post offers no medical or legal advice, it is intended to offer its readers an introduction to the birth injury of cerebral palsy and the potential for birth mistakes to form the bases of personal injury legal cases.