This condition occurs as a result of irreversible damage caused to a child’s brain during pregnancy or labour or shortly after birth. The most common cerebral palsy causes are a failure of the brain to develop properly resulting in neurological damage which may be as a result of medical malpractice or a congenital birth defect.
This condition is a catastrophic injury altering the lives of both victims and their families forever. Most families don't have the resources to cover all of the expenses and provide for the child over his or her lifetime. Thats were we come in to assist your child to claim the compensation they deserve. We can help you assert your child's rights and get the compensation that your child needs and deserves to ensure the best ongoing treatment.
Many infants suffer from a ‘birth defect’ which is a naturally occurring anomaly within the brain. In the absence of the presence of negligence risk factors it is usually assumed that the problem was caused by natural occurrences. Birth defects can still occur even when the mother has strictly followed good pre-natal care during pregnancy. There are a number of pre-natal maternal risk factors which include:
- exposure to rubella, toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus
- exposure to chemicals including alcohol, cigarettes and cocaine
- premature birth
- severe physical trauma during pregnancy
- low birth weight
Healthcare professional's negligence can cause brain injury including:
- failure to detect a prolapsed umbilical cord
- improper use of delivery forceps
- inadequate monitoring of foetal heart rate
- failure to perform a c-section in the presence of foetal distress
- leaving the child in the birth canal too long
- failure to plan a c-section for a potentially large birth weight
- Use of excessive vacuum extraction
- failure to diagnose and treat jaundice
or meningitis
- failure to treat post-natal seizures
- failure to respond to the mother's high blood pressure or toxaemia
If any of the following events occurred it may be an indicator justifying further investigation and medical negligence advice to establish the cerebral palsy causes:
- emergency delivery with forceps, or by c-section
- CPR resuscitation immediately following birth
- seizures within the first 3-4 days of life
- intensive care unit
- MRI scan, CT scan or brain scan
- oxygen required to facilitate breathing after birth
- a specialist called to attend
If you would like free advice just complete the contact form and a lawyer will review your information and phone you immediately with no charge and with no obligation.
