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What Can I Do If My Baby is Facing Cerebral Palsy?
The process of childbirth is difficult enough, but when something goes wrong, it can be a daunting ordeal for both the mother and the newborn. Any injuries sustained during this crucial moment can lead to severe, long-lasting consequences. Brain damage in infants can be particularly devastating, often resulting in conditions such as cerebral palsy. It is essential for parents to grasp the potential causes of these injuries such as neonatal encephalopathy, available treatments, and the lasting impacts they can have. You need an Illinois attorney who can help guide you and protect your rights.
What Is The Difference Between Cerebral Palsy And Neonatal Encephalopathy?
Cerebral relates to the brain while palsy refers to muscle weakness. Cerebral palsy can occur when part of the brain does not develop properly, or when the brain is harmed during a child’s early development.
Can a C-Section Lead to Cerebral Palsy in My Baby?
Childbirth happens every day in hospitals across the United States. That is why doctors and staff are trained to prevent injuries during labor and delivery. If a child is at risk of injury during a vaginal birth, a Cesarean section, or C-section as it is commonly known, may have to be done. But like with any surgery it comes with its share of risk, and it could lead to cerebral palsy. You need an Illinois attorney who is skilled at determining if medical negligence played a role in injuries that occurred during a Cesarean delivery.
When Is Cesarean Delivery Necessary?
A C-section involves making an incision in the mother's abdomen to remove the child from the uterus. When a natural birth is likely to put a child or mother at risk of injury, doctors may opt for Cesarean delivery. If labor stalls and is not progressing, or if there are signs of fetal distress, a C-section may be necessary, especially in these cases:
Should I Get an Attorney If I Think My Child Has Cerebral Palsy?
In the United States, for every 1,000 babies born, about three will be diagnosed with cerebral palsy by the time they are 8 years old. It is the most common cause of childhood disability in the country. [[Title]] specializes in cases related to cerebral palsy. If your child suffered a birth injury due to someone's negligence, taking legal action in Illinois involves understanding the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 90 percent of all cerebral palsy cases are the result of damage to the brain occurring during pregnancy or childbirth. An Illinois birth injury attorney will be able to guide you and offer legal support to ensure that those responsible for your child’s medical condition are held responsible and try to get you the compensation you deserve.
What Are Some of the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?
As you may imagine, treatments and therapy for cerebral palsy can be costly. When there is damage to the brain before or during birth, it can impact how the brain communicates with the body in the following ways for children with cerebral palsy:
How Long After Birth Can I File a Cerebral Palsy Claim?
It is heartbreaking to realize that medical mistakes during childbirth may have caused your baby’s birth injury. When you found out that your child had cerebral palsy, your first instinct was to give them all the love and care they needed, 24/7. But you should seek legal counsel quickly. Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy can be really tough and exhausting. These types of medical errors create lifelong challenges for both your child and your family. If you are worried about the long-term expenses and you want to take legal action against the people responsible for your child's injuries, you need an Illinois birth injury attorney who can look into the possibility of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit for the birth injuries your child has experienced.
Is There a Deadline to File a Lawsuit?
When it comes to lawsuits, there is something called a statute of limitation. It is like a legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. Once that deadline passes, you likely cannot make a legal claim anymore. It may seem strict, but they are there to make sure that people have a fair chance to bring their legal claims while the evidence is still fresh and available. The idea is to make sure that important records, information, and documents are still available and reliable when you decide to file a lawsuit. Here are the main things to know about this time-sensitive rule:
Could Labor Problems Cause Cerebral Palsy in Your Child?
Discovering that your child has a lifelong condition that might have been avoided is a gut-wrenching experience. A long childbirth can sometimes result in cerebral palsy and other potential health challenges for your baby. Now, your child may be looking at a future with restricted independence and ongoing treatments, depending on how severe the condition is. If you suspect medical negligence during your pregnancy, labor, delivery, or neonatal care, you need an Illinois birth injury attorney to fight for you and your child and support you every step of the way.
How Can Medical Negligence Lead to Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy arises from brain damage, often occurring during or shortly after childbirth, impacting a child's mobility and balance. This condition has a lifelong impact on your child's life.
Is your Baby Suffering from Erb’s Palsy due to Medical Negligence?
Bringing a new life into the world is an incredible moment filled with joy and anticipation. But sometimes, the process of childbirth can lead to unexpected challenges, like a birth injury. One of the most common birth injuries is Erb's Palsy, which can be distressing for both parents and newborns. About 12,000 babies are born with this birth injury and if your child is one of them, you need an Illinois birth injury attorney who can help you get the financial compensation you need.
What is Erb’s Palsy?
Erb's Palsy, also known as brachial plexus birth palsy, is nerve injury to a baby’s shoulder and arm, often because of excessive force during delivery. Medications such as oxytocin or an epidural during labor are also contributing factors.
What Legal Options Do I Have as a Result of My Child’s Birth Injury?
Having to put your newborn through invasive surgeries to repair damaged nerves and muscles because of someone’s negligence, is unacceptable. Erb’s palsy is a common example of a birth injury that may result from medical malpractice. We know this can be an emotionally and financially challenging time for families. Fortunately, there are legal avenues under Illinois law, available to pursue compensation for medical malpractice if it played a role in your child's birth injury. This compensation can help cover the cost of medical bills, therapies, and other necessary treatments to ensure your child's well-being.
What Can I Do If My Baby Suffered from Meconium Aspiration?
The arrival of a newborn brings immense happiness and optimism. It is difficult to fathom that one of the primary reasons for sickness and mortality in newborns is their initial struggle to breathe upon entering the world. This health issue arises when the baby's first stool, known as meconium, enters the amniotic fluid during labor and delivery. Regrettably, meconium aspiration birth injuries affect about five to ten percent of all births. You need an Illinois birth injury attorney who can help you and your family seek the compensation that you deserve.
How Could My Newborn Have Been Injured During Delivery?
Meconium is the initial fecal matter discharged by a newborn shortly after birth before they start feeding. Occasionally, a baby expels meconium while still in the womb. When the baby inhales this fluid into their lungs, it can be very difficult to breathe and lead to a condition called meconium aspiration syndrome or MAS. This meconium can obstruct the infant's air passages due to inflammation and swelling of the baby's lungs.
What Can I Do If Pitocin Injures My Baby?
In some cases involving childbirth, there may be a medical need to induce labor to ensure the safe delivery of the baby. In cases where labor is not progressing as expected, doctors may resort to using a medication called Pitocin. Unfortunately, the wrong dosage of Pitocin could potentially be harmful to the mother or the baby. If you believe that your child has suffered a birth injury linked to the use of Pitocin, you need the help of an Illinois birth injury attorney who can help you make sure that those responsible for your baby’s injuries are held accountable.
What is Pitocin?
Pitocin is a drug that is given to some women to induce labor. Because it is given through an IV continuously, contractions are closer together and stronger. Doctors should give the medication correctly and then monitor the mother’s and the baby’s heart rate. If there are any signs of distress the medication should be adjusted or a C-section may be needed to prevent injury to the baby.
How Can Birth Injuries Affect Family Members’ Mental Health?
Giving birth is an event that usually brings joy and happiness to parents. However, when a birth injury occurs, it can not only have long-lasting effects on a child’s physical health, but it can also affect the mental well-being of both parents and children. The emotional toll that birth injuries take on families cannot be ignored. Understanding the impact these injuries can have is crucial to ensure that family members have proper support.
The Emotional Toll of Birth Injuries on Parents
When parents find out that their child has been injured during childbirth, they may experience a wide range of emotions, including shock, guilt, anger, sadness, anxiety, and even depression. They may blame themselves for what happened, or they may feel helpless.
Parents may also grieve over the loss of their expectations for a healthy baby and the future plans they had made before their child's injury took place. This grieving process can be challenging as they come to terms with the reality of caring for a child with special needs.
How Can Occupational Therapy Benefit Children with Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects movement, posture, and overall motor function. It is typically caused by brain damage that occurred before or during birth, and it can lead to difficulties in the activities of daily living. Even though cerebral palsy has no cure, various interventions can help manage the condition and improve a child’s quality of life. One such intervention is occupational therapy.
Occupational therapy focuses on helping children develop skills that are necessary for daily activities. For children with cerebral palsy, this form of therapy aims to promote independence and enhance their ability to participate in meaningful activities. Benefits of occupational therapy include:
Enhancing Motor Skills
Children with cerebral palsy often experience challenges related to bodily movement, including muscle weakness, poor coordination, and impaired balance. Occupational therapists work closely with these children to identify specific deficits in motor skills and create treatment plans tailored to the child’s needs. Through various therapeutic techniques and exercises, occupational therapists assist children in developing strength and improving coordination. They focus on enhancing both fine motor skills (such as handwriting or buttoning clothing) and gross motor skills (such as walking or jumping). By addressing these areas of difficulty early on in a child's development, they can make significant progress over time.
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