Medical Malpractice and Cerebral Palsy: What to Do If Your Child is a Victim
Watching your child struggle because of cerebral palsy is probably one of the most horrible things you could go through as a parent. If you feel that the medical services you got from your hospital or doctor were inadequate and may have caused this condition, it would be wise for you to consult a cerebral palsy lawyer. They can help you determine if you have a case and explain all options of legal action available to you. Taking legal action may not cure your child but will help ensure that other families don’t go through the same. You can refer to sites like https://www.jjsjustice.com/national/cerebral-palsy-lawyer/ for more information.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a physically and neurologically disabling condition caused by a brain injury during, before, or immediately after birth. While you cannot prevent cerebral palsy if it develops naturally, there are precautions that doctors can take to reduce or eliminate dangers to the child during pregnancy and birth. The most common causes of cerebral palsy are disease, viral infection, preterm delivery, complicated deliveries, or physical trauma.
Expectant moms should be aware of the factors linked to a higher incidence of cerebral palsy. Receiving high-quality medical care can significantly lower your child’s risk of having cerebral palsy. The doctor can protect the mother and the kid from many injuries, internal damage, and other developmental issues by lowering these risks.
Factors that May Cause Cerebral Palsy
There exists a correlation between cerebral palsy and lack of access to healthy foods and quality health insurance. This indicates that often, this condition can be prevented with quality medical care and adequate conditions during, before, and after childbirth. Here are some factors expecting parents should look into.
- Physical injury: Physical injury is a major cause of cerebral palsy in infants, and it is usually avoidable. Medical malpractice or negligence may occur when doctors misuse tools such as forceps and vacuum extraction or fail to address a birth injury in a reasonable timeframe. If something like this has occurred, you must take legal action to hold the responsible parties accountable.
- Infections and Illnesses: If the mother is infected by a severe virus or illness during pregnancy, the effects may be fatal to the child. A viral infection called “infant meningitis” may also increase the risk of cerebral palsy. In such cases, getting excellent healthcare is your best bet.
- Complications during delivery: Deliveries can sometimes happen in tricky circumstances where the baby unnaturally twists and turns in the birth canal. This could obstruct the flow of oxygen to their brain, causing a trauma severe enough to cause cerebral palsy.
- Nutrition & exposure to toxins: It is important to keep a check on your lifestyle when you’re pregnant. Eating nutritious food and avoiding toxins such as alcohol and nicotine can go a long way. Contact with bacteria or dirt may play a role in exposure to a harmful toxin known as “methylmercury,” which is correlated with cerebral palsy.
Legal Aid for Cerebral Palsy Cases
When it comes to childbirth, selecting the right doctor and hospital is critical. Experienced doctors understand what to look for and the risk factors that can lead to physical injury.
Many times malpractice and negligence can be the cause of cerebral palsy.
If you believe that your child’s cerebral palsy was preventable or was caused by the negligence of the healthcare professionals who were supposed to do better, you might want to look into filing a lawsuit. Cerebral palsy cases are sensitive and would require a highly competent attorney who knows the medical jargon around them. It would therefore be wise to choose from the very best cerebral palsy lawyers out there to get the justice you deserve. Specialized lawyers can help you build a solid case, collect evidence, represent you in court, and tell you all about your options.
