Birth Injury Lawyer Miami, FL
There are many types of brain damage that can occur from birth, but one of the most common injuries that can affect people is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is considered to be an umbrella term, referring to different disorders that can affect a person’s mobility. It is a lifelong condition that is often characterized by coordination, muscle tone, your posture, and balance. Cerebral palsy can come as the result of injury before, during, or after birth, and the symptoms can range dramatically.
How Soon Can the Child Be Diagnosed With a Birth Injury?
While birth injuries aren’t uncommon, the doctor or physician might not notice that the child has sustained an injury immediately. In fact, some children won’t even be diagnosed with cerebral palsy for months or even a few years after they have been injured, making treatment more difficult.
How Do Birth Injuries Occur?
Because of how underdeveloped a fetus’ brain is in the womb—and even an infant’s brain shortly after birth—serious damage can occur that might not have nearly such a dramatic effect on an older child. If your child is diagnosed with a prenatal injury, it means they sustained the injury while they were still in the womb. Likewise, if they had a postnatal injury, it was after the baby was born. So, what are common causes of cerebral palsy?
- Asphyxiation
- Infection
- Blood Flow/Oxygen Levels
- Lax Medical Care
Digging Deeper
Unfortunately, there are many possible contributing factors to the onset of cerebral palsy. Some of these are:
Asphyxiation. Although this is one of the less likely causes, it is possible that the fetus’ brain does not get the oxygen supply that it needs.
Infection. If the mother has some type of infection, this can be passed on to the fetus or the child, resulting in the child getting not only infected but getting cerebral palsy.
Blood Flow/Oxygen Levels. Similar to asphyxia, there are other ways that a child could have decreased blood flow or oxygen to the brain. If the fetus has a blood clot, that could result in a restricted level of blood to the brain. An increase in the mother’s blood pressure while she is pregnant can also lead to birth injuries like cerebral palsy.
Lax Medical Care. Sadly, poor medical care can happen. When this is the case, the team of doctors and nurses might make some kind of mistake during the birthing process. If this is the case, it would be considered a type of medical malpractice.
What Can I Do If My Child Has Cerebral Palsy?
While adding a new member to your family can be one of the most exciting times of your life, it can also mean taking care of someone who is born with a birth injury. Sometimes these injuries happen regardless of the situation, but other times these can be the result of medical malpractice. If your child was born with a birth injury that you believe was the result of medical negligence or malpractice, a dedicated and caring birth injury lawyer Miami, FL relies on at Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. can help you.