Giving birth is a major challenge. But it’s worth it when you get to greet your newborn baby at the end. However, your excitement and relief might change overtime if your baby begins to display signs of cerebral palsy after birth.
What is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a condition that can affect your child if they experience brain damage before, during or after delivery. Cerebral palsy is a fairly common condition among people in the United States. In fact, nearly 10,000 people are diagnosed every year.
Some doctors and scientists believe that cerebral palsy can occur due to a prenatal infection in the mother. However, other times, complications or even mistakes in the delivery process can lead to cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy as a birth injury
Unfortunately, sometimes the medical staff who help delivery your baby make mistakes or miss important warning signs during the birthing process. Improper technique, inattention to detail and even inexperience can cause a doctor or nurse to bring harm to your child.
Some underlying causes of cerebral palsy as a result of negligence might include:
- Failure to notice low oxygen levels during delivery
- Improper use of forceps or other birthing tools
- Attempts to pull child forcefully or too quickly from birth canal
- Unnecessarily long labor
Signs of cerebral palsy
Sometimes, cerebral palsy is not evident until much later after your baby’s birth. Unfortunately, by the time you may notice something is truly wrong, you might not be able to take action against the negligent medical staff member who caused your child harm. That’s why it’s imperative that you know what signs to look for in case any of the above factors during your birthing process caused your child to develop cerebral palsy.
Some crucial warning signs include:
- Weak muscles and lack of muscle control
- Severe delays in sitting up, rolling over, crawling or walking
- Problems with fine motor skills
- Spastic movements and coordination issues
Your child shouldn’t have to suffer at the hands of a negligent doctor. The earlier you can spot the signs of cerebral palsy due to avoidable mistakes in the delivery room, the better your chances are of holding the responsible party accountable.
