Cerebral palsy and the connection to medical negligence

The period of time when a woman is pregnant up until the point that she gives birth, whilst mixed with other feelings, is one of the most daunting and stressful times of a woman’s life. All she is hoping for is a healthy happy baby and a delivery that is smooth as possible. Sometimes during the pregnancy things can go wrong, which can have an effect on the health of the baby. 

Cerebral palsy is one of those consequences when things don’t go as expected. The condition can occur through unavoidable circumstances, but it can also occur as a result of negligence on the part of the medical professional that assisted in delivering the baby. If there is support and evidence to prove that medical negligence caused the onset of cerebral palsy, then you could be eligible to claim compensation.

What is cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a fairly complex medical condition that occurs during pregnancy or labour. To explain it as simply as possible, cerebral palsy is a physical condition whereby injury to the brain (the cerebrum) affects movement. 

There are different degrees of the condition, with some barely noticing any signs of it whilst others need constant care and attention. The condition doesn’t get worse but it does often become more noticeable as the child gets older, as their level of movement becomes more noticeable. 

One of the most common causes of the condition is a lack of oxygen to the brain for a period of time, and whilst there are numerous potential causes for this, the one connected to medical negligence is mismanagement during the birth of the child. This could be a direct responsibility of the midwife or doctor who delivered the baby and the best course of action to find out whether you are eligible to make a claim is to get into contact with a personal injury solicitor.