Injury to a baby’s head during birth can lead to Cerebral Palsy
Thousands of cases of Cerebral Palsy are caused by medical malpractice

While Cerebral Palsy is a complicated illness with many factors, some unknown, it is thought that thousands of cases each year are due to poor medical care and treatment of the pregnant mother or baby during birth and thus are preventable.

Pregnancy, labor and delivery of the baby, as well as aftercare of the newborn can all have complications, which if go un-noted or are not adequately treated, can have serious consequences for both mother and child.

The doctors, nurses and midwives caring for the expectant mother and unborn child must demonstrate a sufficient level of care during the pregnancy, throughout the labor and then to the newborn baby. If the medical staff fail to spot a change in the condition of the baby during labor or the baby shifts position and the medical staff fail to respond, this can lead to problems. Similarly if the doctors responsible for the care of the mother do not carry out certain tests during the pregnancy or if the test results are interpreted wrongly, then unforeseen complications can arise.

Newborn babies have very soft skulls and brain tissue and are therefore very susceptible to head trauma during the birth. If the labor is not progressing as it should be then forceps or vacuum extraction can be used to aid delivery. However, if over used these can lead to skull fractures and haemorrhages, possibly causing Cerebral Palsy. If the baby is starved of oxygen during the birth then this can also lead to Cerebral Palsy.

Factors which suggest there may have been inadequate care during the labour and birth, leading to Cerebral Palsy, are a failure to carry out a Caesarean operation or a delay in opting for a C-Section when it would otherwise have been expected, a failure to notice that the baby was in distress during the labor or a mistake in reading the fetal monitor strip.

Families who have a child that suffers from Cerebral Palsy, which may have been caused by medical malpractice, could be entitled to a large compensation claim.

This article is not to be taken as legal advice. To discuss the issue of medical malpractice further please contact The Barber Law Firm of Dallas, Texas.