Cerebral palsy is one of the most common motor disabilities among children, with the CDC estimating that prevalence ranges from one to almost four out of 1,000 live births around the world. This condition can result from abnormal brain development or damage to the growing brain during pregnancy, labor, or in the early stages of infancy. Mothers need dedicated and professional healthcare providers to care for them during pregnancy and delivery.
When a child is injured during birth as a result of medical error or negligence, they are at a high risk of developing cerebral palsy. This can create a lifetime of trauma for both the mother and child, as caring for an individual with cerebral palsy can be challenging and costly. If you believe your child was injured as a result of medical error or negligence, a Kansas City cerebral palsy lawyer at Goza & Honnold may be able to help you build a case against the negligent parties.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is best defined as a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move, maintain balance, and uphold posture. It is often characterized by the type of movement disorder involved. Eighty percent of people with cerebral palsy experience spastic CP, which increases muscle tone, resulting in stiffness. Other types of CP include dyskinetic CP—which affects the controlling movement of the body—and ataxic CP—which causes a loss in balance and coordination abilities.
This developmental disability affects a child’s and their family’s life in many ways. The type of cerebral palsy a child has is often related to the brain area that is injured in early life. Raising and caring for a child with this condition brings many different challenges to your family’s daily life. Parents may note signs and symptoms in their child early on that contribute to finding a diagnosis right away. If a doctor neglects to address the signs and symptoms a baby portrays, or if they make an error during the child’s birth that leads to brain injury and the development of cerebral palsy, they may be held liable.
Common Symptoms and Complications of Cerebral Palsy
Many children are often diagnosed as small infants or before the age of 2, as parents can note development delays or missed milestones from doctor’s visits and daily life. Notable signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy during infancy include:
- Delayed or failed developmental milestones
- Inability to or delay in crawling, walking, or rolling over
- Excessive drooling and inability to swallow or eat
- Difficulty seeing or hearing
- Spasms or shaking
- Trouble controlling movements
The signs and symptoms may vary depending on the area of the brain that was affected and the severity of the injury.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
An estimated 10,000 babies born each year in the United States will develop CP.
Causes of cerebral palsy are unidentifiable at times but can be attributed to and caused by genetic mutations, infections, traumatic brain injury or head injury, and other conditions that affect a mother and growing baby’s health. Possible causes of cerebral palsy include:
- Congenital factors and genetics
- Lacking prenatal care
- Missing early signs and lab results
- Jaundice leading to brain damage during infancy
- Traumatic brain injury and head trauma during birth
- Maternal or fetal infections
- Lack of oxygen
- Lack of proper neonatal care
- Illness and disease during infancy
- Other factors and causes
Caring and providing for a child with CP may require extensive doctor’s appointments, medical treatments, equipment, and other needs.
At times, these injuries and circumstances can be attributed to medical error or negligence, which is why it is important to speak with an experienced Kansas City cerebral palsy attorney if you believe your child was injured as a result of another’s negligence. Our skilled birth injury lawyers may help you obtain the compensation owed to you.
How Medical Malpractice May Have Caused Your Child’s Diagnosis
If you believe a medical provider’s actions or negligence caused a birth injury to your infant, a skilled Kansas City medical malpractice attorney may be able to thoroughly research your case and pursue any and all necessary legal action. There are different ways that medical malpractice may have played a role in causing your child’s cerebral palsy. Possible causes of CP due to negligence and malpractice include:
- Forcing a baby out of the birth canal
- Waiting too long to perform a cesarean section surgery
- The baby was born deoxygenated and not properly cared for
- The umbilical cord was wrapped around the neck and treated incorrectly
At Goza & Honnold, we understand CP and the possible ways your child could have developed it. Our skilled team has successfully helped various clients in Kansas City when they have suffered injuries due to medical malpractice and errors leading to injuries. Don’t delay contacting a lawyer who can help you pursue the compensation you need to help care for your child properly.
When to Contact a Kansas City Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If your child is suffering from CP that resulted from negligent medical care, you may be wondering how a lawyer may be able to help. Our legal team is qualified and dedicated to helping our clients and their families.
A skilled legal team can research, gather information, and evaluate the events and encounters in your child’s medical chart to review the case and incidence of the diagnosis. Contact our best-in-class legal team when your child has been diagnosed and you suspect it is caused by negligence.
Call Goza & Honnold in Kansas City for an Experienced Cerebral Palsy Lawyer to Represent Your Case
If your child has been a victim of negligence and medical malpractice resulting in cerebral palsy, the experienced birth injury lawyers at Goza & Honnold may be able to help. Our team can assist you and your family in building a case against all the parties involved and may be able to hold them responsible for your child’s experience. Contact our office by filling out our contact form or calling (913) 451-3433 to schedule a free consultation.