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Cerebral palsy can be caused by birth injuries

On Behalf of | Feb 9, 2018 | Uncategorized |

Cerebral palsy is a very serious condition that can leave a child unable to walk or, in milder cases, get around normally for all of his or her life. Although it affects the child’s ability to control his or her muscular movements, it is in fact a brain condition that people used to think was caused by oxygen deprivation during the birth process.

When a family in the Albuquerque area finds out their child has cerebral palsy, it no doubt creates a lot of emotional distress, as well as questions about how they are going to pay for medical bills and ongoing expenses. In serious cases, there could also be questions about how the child will support himself or herself in to adulthood.

Doctors now believe that the majority of cerebral palsy cases develop well before a child is born, although the exact origins of the condition are unknown. However, there still are cases of this condition that can rightfully be called birth injuries.

Some of these injuries can start with an unexpected medical complication in the birthing process. For instance, the placenta can come unattached from the uterine wall or there can be issues with the umbilical cord, both of which carry essential oxygen to the baby’s brain. Without the oxygen, the baby can develop cerebral palsy.

The problem comes in when a doctor who is supposed to be watching the child and the mom during the childbirth either misses these conditions as they are developing or fails to react in time to the emergency situation. In these sorts of cases, it is fair to say that the doctor could have prevented the cerebral palsy. Families of these children should therefore consider pursuing compensation through a medical malpractice case.

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