Pregnancy is a time rife with anticipation and fears for soon-to-be parents. Most people take great steps prior to and during pregnancy to ensure the health of their children. These efforts could include losing weight, changing their diet, discontinuing medications, taking multivitamins and seeing a doctor regularly. The end goal of all of this work is to ensure the delivery of a healthy baby.
Sadly, sometimes things go wrong that are outside the control of the parents. This is why pregnancy, labor and delivery are all medical experiences that require expert medical care and advice. You rely on your doctor to make the right choices for you and your baby. Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes or negligence on the part of a medical practitioner can have lifelong consequences for your family.
Cerebral palsy can completely change your future and your family
There are many potential consequences of medical issues during labor and delivery, but one of the most frightening may be cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is not a single condition, but rather a variety of medical conditions that all relate to brain damage during labor or pregnancy. The extent of that brain damage, as well as when it occurred, will impact the symptoms and severity of the condition in a child.
It is common for cerebral palsy to impact the motor abilities of a child, as well as their speech. For some children, independent living in the future may be possible with adequate support and medical interventions early in life. In more severe cases, a child with cerebral palsy may require nursing care or constant supervision for the rest of their life. This can be expensive for parents, and it may even preclude them from continuing their careers.
How medical mistakes can result in cerebral palsy
Many different kinds of issues could contribute to oxygen deprivation or brain damage of an unborn child. Inadequate fetal monitoring is one such issue. If a doctor fails to use a fetal monitor, does not adequately check the monitor or uses a device that has been improperly maintained, medical professionals will not know if something happens that puts the baby in distress.
A compressed umbilical cord or the placenta detaching from the uterus could both pose extreme risks to the child. Similarly, failing to take action quickly in light of signs of distress could be the difference between a healthy child and one that will struggle with birth injuries for life.
Families who believe that the cerebral palsy of their child resulted from medical negligence or mistakes should seek a second opinion from an outside medical professional to determine if that is likely in their case. That second opinion can help them determine if they can pursue legal action against the medical practitioners involved in the birth.