It is devastating for any parent to be told their child is suffering from an incurable disorder. They will blame themselves, blame each other and, at first, struggle to come to terms with the news. Think how it must feel to be told your child is suffering from Cerebral Palsy and it was due to human error during the birth? How many more emotions can be added to the scenario now, with anger understandably being the top one. Here we look at CP caused by medical negligence and what you can do to get your child the help they deserve.
How Cerebral Palsy can be caused by Medical Negligence
It can be difficult to prove what exactly causes Cerebral Palsy, but when there have been issues during the birth it’s time to look at probable cause. There can be several issues during a birth that can be both a cause for concern and which could result in the brain damage, considered to be the cause of Cerebral Palsy. Was there a delay in delivering a baby that was showing signs of stress? This delay could result in the baby suffering from a deprivation of oxygen, one of the most common causes of infantile brain damage. Errors could have been made immediately after the birth such as jaundice, meningitis, infection or a failure to treat a congenital disorder. There are 4 main causes of CP caused by medical negligence;
- A delay in the baby’s delivery leading to the brain being deprived of oxygen
- Failure to diagnose, and subsequently treat, jaundice which results in hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus. The former causes an increased level of bilirubin in the baby’s blood whilst the latter is a neonatal jaundice complication. Kernicterus could also lead to brain damage that can cause serious health issues such as CP or deafness, and can also prove fatal in extreme cases. Premature babies are at the most risk of this.
- A delay in the diagnosis and treatment of meningitis
- A failure or delay in the diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
First Steps to Take
If you believe that your child’s cerebral palsy was caused by medical negligence you should seek advice from a lawyer who specializes in such cases. He or she will be able to advise the best course of action to take. Proving medical negligence is never easy, the likelihood of them holding their hands up and admitting they were wrong is practically zilch. It will be a lengthy process but it’s worth sticking with it for your child to receive the compensation they are entitled to. This will make a huge difference to both their lives and yours so don’t be put off by what your lawyer is telling you, they have your best interests at heart.
Overview
You may not realize it now, but the measures you will put in place to maximize your child’s quality of life will put an enormous financial burden on you as the parents of a child affected by Cerebral Palsy. Lifetime care can easily go into six figures, and many families will find themselves in deep debt when all they are trying to do is be the best parents possible for their child.
When you engage the services of a specialist birth injury lawyer you can rest assured that all of their resources will be put to work to first investigate your medical negligence case, make an assessment as to how much the claim is worth, and to then seek the best result possible.
