Roughly 10,000 babies are born with cerebral palsy every year. In many cases, the causes of cerebral palsy are unknown and natural. However, in other cases, cerebral palsy results directly from the inattentive or inappropriate actions of doctors, nurses, or other medical personnel that falls within the scope of medical malpractice.
Understanding why your child has cerebral palsy can be a challenge. However, if you suspect that physician errors or medical mistakes are the cause, it’s in your best interest to consult with a birth injury lawyer as soon as possible.
At The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., we have the legal knowledge and medical experience to investigate your case and identify all parties responsible for medical errors. Contact us today for your free initial consultation with a proven birth injury lawyer.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
The exact causes of cerebral palsy are unclear. Many risk factors can contribute to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP). A few of the most commonly cited factors that increase a baby’s risk for CP include premature birth, low birth weight, poor physical health of the mother at the time of delivery, and more.
The consensus among the medical community is that the most likely causes of cerebral palsy include but are not limited to:
- A lack of oxygen to the infant’s brain during birth (asphyxia neonatorum)
- Abnormal brain development caused by gene mutations
- Severe jaundice
- Maternal or brain infections
- Bleeding in the infant’s brain
While natural and unknown factors cause many symptoms of cerebral palsy, other cases can result from medical mistakes. Learn more about cerebral palsy symptoms possibly caused by medical malpractice below.
Medical Mistakes That Can Result in Cerebral Palsy
In some cases of cerebral palsy, this often catastrophic diagnosis is a direct result of the care provided to the mother during her pregnancy or at birth. If a physician or delivery staff fails to monitor, recognize complications adequately, and properly respond to specific situations, it could lead to infant cerebral palsy diagnosis.
A few of the most common medical mistakes that can result in cerebral palsy include but are not limited to a medical staff’s failure to:
- Give proper prenatal care and medical responses during labor or birth
- Diagnose or treat infections, preterm labor, and macrosomia (abnormally large babies)
- Provide an adequate diagnosis or respond to abnormal or concerning fetal heart monitor changes
- Appropriately use medical equipment during birth (i.e., forceps and vacuum extractors)
- Adequately manage the labor a delivery process
- And more.
Understanding whether medical mistakes cause cerebral palsy often requires the savvy eye of an experienced birth injury lawyer and a team of medical experts.
When To Contact a Birth Injury Lawyer
If you suspect that your infant suffered birth injuries resulting in cerebral palsy due to medical staff negligence, we’re here to help. Dr. Kramer has recovered more than $100 million in medical malpractice damages and is known as a top medical malpractice attorney in the state of California.
Contact The Trial Law Offices of Bradley I. Kramer, M.D., Esq., to schedule your free initial consultation with a proven birth injury lawyer in California.