Blog Posts
Birth Injury

What Causes Cerebral Palsy and Birth Asphyxia?

July 12, 2018

The last thing parents want to experience is a birth injury to their child, especially one affecting the brain. However, when birth injuries happen, they can be extremely traumatic and potentially result in years of therapy, specialized treatment, and additional care that can be emotionally straining and costly.

These types of injuries are rare, with an estimated 1-2 cases per 1,000 births, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. When these rare birth injuries occur, parents deserve justice, especially if the birth injury was attributed to the negligence of medical staff.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral Palsy is a type of brain injury. It can occur from multiple causes. Some of these causes are unpreventable due to abnormal brain development, prematurity, chromosomal abnormalities or unknown medical conditions.

Preventable Cerebral Palsy

But many cases of Cerebral Palsy are preventable by appropriate medical/nursing intervention. The failure of medical staff to intervene in a timely and appropriate manner often leads to a brain injury and resulting Cerebral Palsy.

What is Birth Asphyxia?

Birth asphyxia is attributed to oxygen loss or lack of blood supply. It accounts for roughly 6 percent to 8 percent of all cerebral palsy cases and happens moments before or during birth. This type of birth injury is often caused by:

  • Complications with the umbilical cord, such as strangulation, cord compression and restriction
  • Maternal shock caused by bleeding and fetal distress
  • Difficult delivery caused by abnormal birth position of the baby
  • Prolonged delivery caused by large infant size
  • Blood pressure (low or high) of the infant or mother
  • Blocked airways during birth
  • Anemia

Why consult with an attorney?

While some cases of cerebral palsy occur due to unknown causes, many of these birth injuries are preventable. At Jeffrey M. Goldberg Law Offices, we understand the pain and suffering a birth injury can cause to parents. Trained medical staff have a duty of care to quickly and appropriately respond when a complication arises during a baby’s birth. If the medical staff’s negligence was a factor in your child’s birth injury, they should be held accountable. No exceptions. An experienced birth injury lawyer can investigate and gather crucial evidence needed to build a solid case.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your options. We’ll fight for you every step of the way.

About The Author

Photo of Jeffrey  Goldberg
Attorney Jeffrey M. Goldberg has spent his entire professional career handling cases involving birth injury, medical malpractice, product liability and related accidents.