Learning that your child has cerebral palsy can be overwhelming and emotional. Many parents wonder whether something went wrong during pregnancy or delivery and if their child’s condition could have been prevented. While some cases of cerebral palsy develop due to unavoidable factors, others are linked to birth injuries caused by medical negligence.
When cerebral palsy is caused by a birth injury, parents may be left questioning whether mistakes were made and what options are available moving forward. Aldous Law helps families evaluate whether medical negligence may have played a role by carefully reviewing medical records and working with trusted medical professionals.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects muscle control, coordination, and movement. It occurs when the developing brain is damaged, most often before or during childbirth. The condition can range from mild physical challenges to severe disabilities that require lifelong medical care and assistance.
Children with cerebral palsy may experience muscle stiffness or weakness, difficulty walking, speech challenges, seizures, or vision and hearing impairments. Although cerebral palsy is not progressive, meaning it does not worsen over time, its effects are permanent.
What Counts as a Birth Injury That Leads to Cerebral Palsy?
A birth injury is harm that occurs to a baby during labor or delivery. Certain injuries can disrupt oxygen flow or cause trauma to the brain, increasing the risk of cerebral palsy. Common examples include oxygen deprivation, head trauma, or untreated infections during labor.
Birth injuries differ from genetic or developmental conditions that occur independently of medical care. When cerebral palsy is caused by a birth injury, it often raises questions about whether proper medical standards were followed during delivery.
How Common is Cerebral Palsy a Result of a Birth Injury?
While most cases of cerebral palsy are not caused by birth injuries, a significant number are directly linked to complications during labor and delivery. These cases are often the most preventable and may form the basis of cerebral palsy medical malpractice claims when medical providers fail to act appropriately.
How Medical Negligence Can Lead to Preventable Cerebral Palsy
Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care, resulting in injury. During childbirth, negligence may involve poor monitoring, delayed decisions, or improper use of medical tools.
When these errors lead to brain damage, the result may be cerebral palsy caused by medical negligence. Families facing these circumstances often seek answers about what went wrong and whether the outcome could have been avoided.
Key Medical Mistakes That May Cause Cerebral Palsy
Failure to monitor fetal distress or oxygen deprivation: Medical staff must monitor the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels throughout labor. Signs of fetal distress may indicate that the baby is not receiving enough oxygen. When these signs are missed or ignored, prolonged oxygen deprivation can cause permanent brain damage.
Improper use of forceps or vacuum extractor: Assisted delivery tools can be helpful in certain situations, but misuse or excessive force can result in traumatic brain injuries. When safer alternatives are available, improper tool use may lead to cerebral palsy due to medical negligence.
Delayed C section or mismanaged complications: Some labor complications require immediate surgical intervention. Delays in performing a C section or errors during the procedure can increase the risk of brain injury.
Signs Your Child’s Condition May Be Linked to Medical Negligence
Parents may begin to suspect their child’s cerebral palsy was caused by medical negligence, especially when delivery complications are not clearly explained. Red flags may include low Apgar scores, seizures shortly after birth, emergency resuscitation, or extended stays in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Inconsistent medical records or unexplained delays in treatment may also indicate that errors occurred during labor or delivery.
Determining If Your Child’s Cerebral Palsy Was Preventable
Determining whether cerebral palsy was preventable often requires reviewing medical records and timelines from pregnancy through delivery. Medical experts may assess whether the standard of care was met and whether earlier intervention could have reduced the risk of injury.
Families considering cerebral palsy medical negligence cases should know that these claims require evidence connecting medical errors to the child’s condition. While the process can be challenging, it often provides families with clarity and direction.
Legal Options When Cerebral Palsy Was Caused by a Birth Injury
When cerebral palsy is caused by a birth injury, families may be eligible to pursue a medical negligence cerebral palsy claim. These claims can help cover medical treatment, therapy, assistive equipment, and long-term care needs.
Compensation in medical negligence claims may also address lost income for parents who become full-time caregivers and need help to secure the child’s financial future.
What Parents Can Do Now
If you believe your child’s cerebral palsy may have resulted from preventable medical errors, gathering information is an important first step. Request medical records from pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and write down any concerns or unanswered questions.
A legal consultation does not require you to pursue a lawsuit. It can simply help you understand your options.
How Aldous Law can help your family move forward
Aldous Law has extensive experience handling birth injury and medical negligence cases involving cerebral palsy. Our dedicated cerebral palsy lawyers understand how devastating these diagnoses can be for families. That’s why we take a thorough, compassionate approach to every case. By working closely with medical professionals and legal partners, Aldous Law carefully investigates what happened during pregnancy, labor, and delivery to determine whether medical negligence played a role.
When representing families affected by cerebral palsy, Aldous Law focuses on several critical areas, including:
- Reviewing prenatal, labor, and delivery medical records to identify errors or delays in care
- Consulting with qualified medical experts to evaluate whether the standard of care was met
- Investigating signs of fetal distress, oxygen deprivation, or delivery trauma
- Determining whether earlier intervention could have prevented or reduced the severity of the injury
- Calculating the long-term financial impact of cerebral palsy, including medical care, therapy, and assistive needs
Throughout the process, the firm advocates for families by pursuing accountability and seeking compensation that can support a child’s lifelong needs. Aldous Law is committed to helping parents gain clarity, confidence, and a path forward during an incredibly difficult time.
If you believe your child’s cerebral palsy may be linked to medical negligence, contact us today at (214) 526-5595 to speak with a knowledgeable and compassionate legal professional.
