November 09, 2011

Cerebral Palsy Warning Signs

Medical malpractice during the birth of a child can cause a condition known as cerebral palsy.  According to a variety of doctors on emedicinehealth.com, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders affecting body movement, balance, and posture.  It is a sort of “brain paralysis”.

Cerebral Palsy is unlike other injuries because signs of the condition do not necessarily start to manifest until some time after the birth.  Parents often take children home and only start to notice problems after time passes.  The condition usually develops at age two or three.

Still, there are warning signs that may indicate that a baby has cerebral palsy.  If your child does not meet the ordinary milestones that babies experience that may mean, although it does not necessarily mean, that the child has cerebral palsy.

Some milestones to watch out for are crawling, walking, and controlling his or her head.  There may also be cause for concern if the child is demonstrating abnormal movements.

After your child begins to show signs of cerebral palsy, it is important to take him or her to the doctor.  If the doctor diagnosis the child with cerebral palsy, you should contact a birth injury attorney immediately.  It is possible that during the birth of the child, the medical staff did not meet the standard of care expected by medical professionals, and there may be a case of medical malpractice. 

According to WebMD, evidence indicates that potential causes of cerebral palsy are infections, birth injuries, and poor oxygen supply to the brain before, during, and immediately after birth.  It can also result from an injury during a baby’s progression in the mother’s womb, a breeched birth where the child’s feet, knees, or butt come out first, a low birth weight, being born with a twin, and having seizures shortly after birth.

Category: [Birth Injury] [Medical Malpractice ] [Birth Defects] [Cerebral Palsy]