Washington DC Personal Injury Lawyers |
Posted: July 19, 2018 |
KNOW THE RISK FACTORS FOR CEREBRAL PALSYA baby’s future health depends in part on the mother’s health during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman has certain types of infections, medical conditions or health problems, her baby is at greater risk of being born with cerebral palsy (CP).
Premature birth, low birth weight, oxygen deprivation, breech births, infertility treatments, multiple births and complications during birth can also increase the risk of CP. Birth injuries that result from medical malpractice before, during or shortly after delivery can also cause cerebral palsy.
CP is caused by brain damage sustained before or during birth in between 85 and 90 percent of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the remaining 10 to 15 percent of cases, the individual acquires CP more than 28 days after birth. Head injuries, car accidents, abuse and infections are a few common causes of acquired cerebral palsy.
WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?
Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of disorders that dramatically affect a person’s ability to control limb movement. It is a permanent condition, and does not deteriorate or improve over time. Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy may include:
Cerebral palsy may affect only one limb, or it may affect a single side of the body or the entire body. The type of injury and extent of brain damage will often affect the symptoms.
CEREBRAL PALSY RISK FACTORS
Between two and three out of every 1,000 children over the age of three have cerebral palsy, according to the American Pregnancy Association’s estimates. In total, around 500,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy.
Medical malpractice and birth injuries increase the risk of brain damage and of a child being born with developmental problems such as cerebral palsy.
Some of the leading CP risk factors, particularly those involving negligent birth injuries, include:
If you believe your child acquired cerebral palsy as a result of the negligent actions of the medical professionals attending the birth, you should contact a skilled birth injury attorney. You may be entitled to pursue compensation to help pay for your child’s medical costs, ongoing therapy, adaptive devices and other expenses.
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