New York Birth Injury Lawyers
Explaining Cerebral Palsy Risk Factors

Cerebral palsy is a condition that millions of people in the United States live with every day, and there is no cure for it.  However, researchers are learning more and more about this condition, and over time they have been able to identify several different risk factors that should be watched for by the medical professionals who are overseeing the mother’s prenatal care.  If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe that it was a result of a mistake made by those medical professionals, seek the help of experienced New York birth injury lawyers as soon as possible.  Below is a brief introduction to risk factors associated with cerebral palsy.

‘Natural’ Risk Factors for Cerebral Palsy

As the list of risk factors for cerebral palsy continues to grow, there are some that have been identified that seemingly cannot be avoided.  For instance, if a mother has multiple children at once, that raises the risk that one child will develop cerebral palsy.  Another risk factor involves premature births that can occur for any number of reasons.  Finally, low birth weight has also led to a higher tendency for cerebral palsy to be diagnosed.

Other Risk Factors for Cerebral Palsy

Unfortunately, there are also many diagnoses of cerebral palsy throughout the United States that could have and should have been avoided.  These diagnoses are the result of mistakes made before, during and immediately after the birth by medical professionals.  A few examples of these mistakes include:

• Umbilical cord problems during birth
• Severe and undiagnosed/untreated jaundice in the newborn
• Failing to detect fetal distress
• Failing to perform a necessary cesarean section birth when necessary 

Unfortunately, studies have repeatedly indicated that one of the leading causes of cerebral palsy is a medical mistake or a series of medical mistakes.  These are all diagnoses and results that could have been avoided, but it can be difficult for parents who are struggling with this negative news to be able to understand how their child contracted this condition.

How New York Birth Injury Lawyers Can Help

Given the devastation that parents usually experience when a diagnosis of cerebral palsy is given and their need to begin to plan for the care of their child, proving that this diagnosis was the result of negligence by medical professionals can be an extremely difficult task.  Given the highly technical nature of these situations, the best step to take is to seek the help of experienced professionals who understand how to handle these situations.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you believe it could have been because of a medical mistake, you need to seek the help of New York birth injury lawyers who have been holding those responsible for this result accountable for 40 years.  Contact Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald today to schedule a free initial consultation.