Was your newborn diagnosed with cerebral palsy in Ohio? Brain injury attorney, Christopher Mellino, has tried many cases in which a medical error or negligent act lead to a birth injury that resulted in cerebral palsy or other damage to a child's brain. Could medical malpractice be a factor in your child's condition? H2: For over 20 years, Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer Chris Mellino, has devoted his practice to fighting for children who fell victim to a severe or fatal birth injury. It is critical parents chose an attorney who is specialized in this field of law - only experience can help your child gain access to the medical and rehabilitative services s/he needs in the early months of their diagnosis and beyond.

When Your Child is Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in Ohio

Cerebral palsy is among the most commonly recognized and devastating forms of child brain injury. Brain injury can in some cases be attributed to genetic mutations or other physiological abnormalities. But in some cases, a newborn’s brain injury is linked to birth injury or birth trauma. This may occur as a result of a lack of oxygen at some stage of pregnancy, labor and delivery, or after delivery. In other cases, physical trauma or exposure to toxins may be a contributing factor in cases of cerebral palsy in Ohio.

Whatever the cause or manifestation, cerebral palsy in Ohio can have a lifelong impact on a child and his or her family, leading to a diminished quality of life and substantial medical bills. In cases where medical negligence or errors have caused a brain injury for a newborn, a knowledgeable third party such as an Ohio brain injury attorney lawyer can help to determine liability.

Birth Trauma and Brain Injury

Birth trauma is related to – and in some cases, the cause of – birth injury in newborn babies. The term birth trauma most often refers to a “mechanical” injury that takes place during labor or childbirth. A traumatic birth can be attributed to factors like difficult labor or childbirth, a large baby, and/or the shape of a mother’s pelvis.

Birth trauma also can refer to errors made by the medical staff in charge of safely delivering the baby, in which case a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer may discuss legal options. Examples of errors include a failure to monitor fetal oxygen levels, delayed cesarean section, or exerting too much force while performing a vacuum extraction.

A traumatic birth that deprives the child of oxygen can lead to damage to tissues or organs and neonatal brain injury or brain damage such as cerebral palsy. Following the diagnosis of cerebral palsy in Ohio, the family should have their case examined by an Ohio brain injury attorney if they suspect medical negligence was the cause.

Factors Related to Brain Injury in a Newborn Baby

A number of factors may contribute to or increase risk of cerebral palsy including certain infections, medical conditions, and genetic defects or malformations. Medical errors or poor conditions during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and post-delivery may also cause cerebral palsy in Ohio.

Below are a few potential risk factors and/or causes of cerebral palsy:

• severe jaundice and kernicterus;
• Rh incompatibility;
• maternal infections (e.g. rubella, chickenpox, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, etc.);
• infant infections (e.g. meningitis, encephalitis, etc.);
• fetal stroke;
• insufficient oxygen in the womb;
• insufficient oxygen during labor and deliver;
• trauma during birth; and
• infant head injuries (e.g. car accidents, falls, etc.);

Delays in treatment of medical emergencies, mismanagement of care, and wrongful diagnosis of an infant brain injury may all factor into the cause of cerebral palsy in Ohio. For example, failing to properly address a maternal infection or to treat jaundice after birth may be considered negligent behavior and could warrant pursuit of a lawsuit with help from a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer.

How common is cerebral palsy?

It is difficult to locate reliable statistics that track brain injury and cerebral palsy at birth, possibly because the factors are so diverse and the condition is often not diagnosed until the child is two- or three-years-old.

United Cerebral Palsy reports “it is estimated that 764,000 child and adults in the U.S. manifest one or more of the symptoms of cerebral palsy.” Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that about 10,000 babies each year are will develop cerebral palsy. In fact, a CDC study from 2009 shows that in 2004, 3.3 out of 1,000 babies had cerebral palsy.

The Health Consequences of a Brain Injury 

Babies with cerebral palsy may suffer from seizures or have difficulty sucking or swallowing. Other symptoms of cerebral palsy may include:

• abnormal muscle tone (stiff or floppy muscles);
• problems with muscle coordination;
• abrupt, uncontrolled movements;
• slow, writing movement;
• favoritism of one side of the body (developing handedness too early); and/or
• sensory problems (vision, hearing, touch).

Cerebral palsy in Ohio can impact a baby for the rest of his or her life and, in some cases, brain injuries or malformations associated with the condition may lead to other effects such as mental retardation.

Unfortunately, the condition cannot be reversed. Once a patient has been stabilized, medical providers (and parents) must think in the long term. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and other medical and therapeutic intervention can help to greatly improve the lives of the young patient. These treatments can be quite costly over a lifetime, but can provide great comfort and improved quality of life in many cases.

Do I Have a Case Relating to My Child’s Brain Injury?

Cerebral palsy can have a lifelong impact on a child and his or her family, and can bring substantial medical bills. If your family has been touched by such a tragedy, it may be beneficial to seek the input of a Ohio brain injury attorney to review options for recovering compensation from a medical professional if his or her negligence caused the condition.

A Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer from Mellino Robenalt LLC can analyze the details of your situation and help you determine if there is evidence of liability on behalf of a medical team. Each case is unique and prior results do not guarantee a similar out come.

For more information on your rights as a parent with a child who may have suffered birth trauma due to medical negligence, contact an Ohio brain injury attorney at Mellino Robenalt LLC. We can address your concerns during a free consultation where he will discuss how cases of cerebral palsy in Ohio are compensated in cases of traumatic birth injuries. Contact us today to schedule your confidential consultation and learn more from a dedicated Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer about the legal options you may have available if negligence is the cause of your child’s cerebral palsy in Ohio and: 440-333-3800.