Dealing with a condition like cerebral palsy is a lifetime endeavor. While ensuring that your child’s special needs are catered to is difficult enough on its own, the situation is exacerbated if that condition was caused by the negligence of medical professionals. While not all cases of cerebral palsy are due to medical malpractice, thousands every year are; many of those instances take place here in New Jersey. According to Cerebral Palsy Guide, if a child suffers from a birth injury prior to delivery, this increases the chance of neurological disorders like cerebral palsy.
There are many potential signs that a birth injury could result in a condition like cerebral palsy. Many of these are easy to spot during the birth or directly after. Many common symptoms of a birth injury include excessive drooling, the hands being in claw shapes, extreme loose or stiff muscles, a low heart rate, seizures, skull fractures, a strong arch in the back while crying, and low oxygen levels.
In the event that a child is exhibiting any of these symptoms and then is later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it is very possible that the condition was caused by a preventable birth injury.
There are many potential causes of the aforementioned symptoms. Negligent medical staff, for instance, may fail to properly treat infections that lead to birth injuries, and may even fail to find them in the first place. Another common cause of malpractice related cerebral palsy is failure to schedule a cesarean section if medically necessary. The improper use of medical equipment like forceps and vacuum extractors may also contribute to a cerebral palsy diagnosis.
