The birth of a child should be an exciting event filled with joy. Yet, all too often medical errors result in irreversible birth injuries. These birth injuries can leave your child with severe pain, and the implications of the harm suffered can be wide-ranging and long-lasting. It may require lifelong care, and treating the injury itself and any resulting medical conditions can be extremely costly. Perhaps worst of all is seeing your child grow up facing difficulties that his or her peers don’t have to contend with.
One of these medical conditions that results from a birth injury is cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a disorder caused by brain damage or deformity that affects the development and coordination of muscles, leaving to difficulty moving. These problems can be so severe that a cerebral palsy sufferer may struggle to walk, grab items, and even swallow. Others suffer from intellectual disabilities. The spectrum of severity can be pretty wide, but all forms of cerebral palsy are severe and can have a drastic affect on an individual’s life.
Perhaps worst of all is the fact that many cases of cerebral palsy are entirely preventable. This is because they are caused by medical malpractice that can take many shapes. A delayed delivery can deprive your child of oxygen, thereby causing damage to the brain, and an untreated infection can intensify, causing irreversible damage. Poor fetal monitoring and errors made during the delivery process can also cause damage to the brain.
If a negligent doctor or negligent medical practices at a hospital harmed your child, then you’re probably riding a wave of emotions. You’re angry, you’re sad, you’re frustrated, and you’re scared for your child’s future. Those feelings are legitimate, and you shouldn’t try to suppress them. Instead, you should embrace them and use them as fuel to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit against those responsible for your child’s injury. If successful, then you might be able to find accountability and recover compensation to help you and your child obtain needed treatment and move on with the next chapter of your lives.
