Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder which affects tens of thousands of babies in the U.S. every year. This condition is thought to have an unknown cause, with most parents chalking it up to a fluke of nature. However, it has been clearly shown over the last few decades that human negligence or actions have the potential to cause cerebral palsy.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is caused by the death of certain cells in the brain that are connected to movement as well as muscle contraction and relaxation. The death of these cells is almost always due to the brain not receiving enough oxygen during the birthing process or an infection which spreads to the baby during pregnancy.
Children with cerebral palsy have problems with controlling how their limbs move due to the brain and muscles not communicating and passing on electrical impulses. As a result, they may suffer from abnormally stiff muscles, or have no muscle tone enough. In addition, they may have speech impediment, find it hard to swallow and eat without assistance, and experience irregular and painful bowel movements.
Cerebral Palsy and Pregnancy
During pregnancy, specialists are assigned to expectant mothers in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy. If the mother contracts an infection, it should be dealt in a timely manner before it infects the baby. During labor, doctors and attending nurses should take note of the baby’s and mother’s vital signs to ensure there is no distress which may interfere with oxygen supply to both the mother and baby. It can thus be said that the negligence of a hospital during the prenatal stage as well as labor can be directly tied to your child developing cerebral palsy.
The Financial Cost of Cerebral Palsy
It is estimated that taking care of a child with cerebral palsy can cost as high as $1 million from birth to adulthood. Most people don’t have this kind of money lying around, which is why it is important to hold hospitals and medical professionals accountable for the roles they played in causing your child to develop this developmental disorder.
Birth Injury Attorney Help
If you suspect that your hospital or doctor caused your child’s cerebral palsy anywhere in the country, please get in touch with us on 877-561-3004 today. It is important to act fast since these cases carry with them a statute of limitations that can expire and lock you out of filing a birth injury lawsuit. Thanks for choosing us, and we look forward to serving you.