Articles Posted in Cerebral Palsy

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A woman had been having premature contractions so she was given pitocin, a hormone that would stop the contractions. She nevertheless still gave birth prematurely on April 4, 2008, on the thirtieth week of her pregnancy. The child developed bleeding and inflammation in the brain as soon as it was born. The bleeding and inflammation in the infant’s brain caused him to develop cerebral palsy.

The mother then filed a suit in damages in behalf of her infant son, claiming that the child suffered brain injury due to the of the obstetrician-gynecologist who assisted at his birth. She claims that the obstetrician gave her too much pitocin which made her placenta break. This break in the placenta caused air to leak into the child’s lungs while it was still inside her uterus and caused the bleeding in the infant’s brain. The mother stressed that instead of giving her pitocin to stop her contractions the obstetrician should have just gone ahead and delivered her baby through cesarean section. The mother claimed that because the obstetrician did not timely remove her child from her womb, the rupture of the placenta caused air to leak into the child’s lungs which caused his bleeding in the brain and which caused him to develop cerebral palsy.

The doctor presented her own testimony that there were no indications that the mother’s placenta was already ruptured or was about to rupture at the time that she was admitted. She claimed, as did the experts she presented that the cesarean section performed was performed at just the right time. And she further testified that there is no medical evidence that the bleeding in the child’s brain was caused by anything other than its prematurity. There is also no evidence that an earlier delivery by cesarean section could have prevented the bleeding in the brain. The bleeding in the brain of the child are expected complications of premature birth and are not due to the mismanagement of the mother’s labor and delivery.

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New approaches to preventing preterm birth and related complications were discussed at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 59th Annual Clinical Meeting. In particular, studies of cutting-edge technology that may lead to an approach for the prevention of cerebral palsy were highlighted.

“Preterm birth is one of the most challenging problems,” one of the doctors said, and a New York Birth Injury Lawyer reiterated that the “frequency of preterm birth in the United States has remained unchanged over the past 2 decades, remaining at 12% overall and 20% in underserved populations.”

Worldwide estimates, including ones in Westchester and Staten Island, indicate that 30 million preterm babies are born annually, with both short- and long-term complications. It was reported at the Congress that no single test can predict all preterm births, and no singular treatment or prevention strategy will eradicate preterm birth. There are, however, two factors that are very strongly associated with preterm birth. A short cervix (a cervix < 15 mm in length) increases the risk for preterm birth by 50%. Also, progesterone deficiency is implicated in both preterm birth and short cervix.

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An eight-year-old girl who suffers from quadriplegic cerebral palsy was born at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Her cerebral palsy was found to be caused by injuries she sustained at birth.

In fact, London’s High Court found that her injury arose out of “clinical negligence” by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The trust apologized for the “deficiencies in the care provided” at the girl’s birth.

A representative said that the settlement will not only improve the girl’s life but will also ensure her future and enable the child’s parents to also enjoy life with their daughter.

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A teenage boy left severely disabled after a series of medical failures at birth was awarded nearly £5.5million last week. The now 16-year-old quadriplegic suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of being deprived of oxygen during his birth.

The plaintiff’s legal team alleged that doctors failed to properly manage the newborn’s breathing after his birth He suffered a circulatory collapse when he was just one day old.

The settlement, which was approved in the High Court, followed the admission of liability by the doctor and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority.

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A teenager left severely brain damaged was awarded £6.6 million in damages last week.

The 18-year-old young man of Oxford was born at the city’s John Radcliffe Hospital in and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and mental impairment. Thankfully, he has a near normal life expectancy and full awareness of his disabilities. He is able to compare his abilities with others and adjust his actions accordingly.

The Deputy Judge at London’s High Court heard that the teen was able to use most forms of assistive technology and was likely to be greatly helped by specialist equipment and care. He also heard that he would probably never be independent, would never enter the paid work force and would need assistance 24 hours a day for the rest of his life.

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The valedictorian and softball player from Keenan High School is anything but an average teen. She stands out, not for those feats, but because those feats are so astronomical given her history.

Routine grounders are anything but routine for these high school senior, reports a friend who’s watched her story.

A teammate says, “My first year playing with [the girl], it was kind of different.”

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A New Jersey jury found a doctor was negligent in the case of a birth injury resulting in the infant’s development of cerebral palsy.

The family of the plaintiff alleged that if the emergency room doctor had not waited as long as he did to perform an emergency Cesarean section, their son would not have suffered the brain damage that caused his disability. According to testimony given by medical experts in Queens and Staten Island, the family’s allegations were true. They stated that had the doctor delivered the baby eight minutes earlier, he would have had the opportunity to live a normal and healthy life.

Cerebral palsy is a condition where muscles suffer from impaired coordination, also known as spastic paralysis. Other disabilities accompany the condition.

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When a doctor mistakenly allows a mother to go forward with a home birth, the child was left severely disabled. The doctor was proven to have failed in finding that the mother had developed gestational diabetes, a condition that often requires a caesarean delivery in a hospital at 36 weeks gestation.

Because of the mother’s condition, her son weighed a very large 11lb 8oz and became stuck during the normal delivery process. The boy went without oxygen for 20 minutes. Because the mother was at home, there was no specialist team or equipment to resuscitate the boy.

The family’s lawyer said, “If the condition had been identified, the mother would have been advised to give birth at a hospital, in an environment where all necessary support and equipment is available to deal with emergencies like hers which would have made all the difference.

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Children born with cerebral palsy will have a difficult but manageable life ahead of them. While treatments for cerebral palsy are difficult at times, getting the best help for your child will benefit them greatly.

In order to pay for these effective and expensive treatments, you need to work with an expert . They will actively pursue a monetary settlement from the doctors and staff who caused your child’s ailment, helping you afford those necessary treatments.

Recently, a report from a UK newspaper profiled a 9-year-old born with cerebral palsy. Her condition limited her movement. Throughout her life, she has had to undergo special treatments four days a week, and she has attended a special swimming club and tried to ride a specially made tricycle in order to help improve her movement.

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A Pennsylvania Medical Center was found negligent in the case of a birth injury lawsuit recently. The resulting settlement was a record breaking $21 million. Jurors found the doctors and staff responsible for the injuries sustained during the delivery process of the plaintiff’s son which resulted in his catastrophic birth injury.

The plaintiff shared her testimony of what should have been one of the happiest memories of her life during the hearing. She told of her arrival at the medical center and of being prepped for child birth. She said that routine procedures were not handled properly. She stated to a friend that had the staff monitored the baby’s heart rates and vital signs properly, they would have seen that the baby was lacking oxygen and thus moving into breach position which necessitated an emergency cesarean section surgery. Even though the surgery was flawless, the mother maintained that the negligence of the staff resulted in her baby developing cerebral palsy. Had the staff been aware of the situation, the surgery would have happened quicker – within the time frame necessary to probably prevent the condition her son now has to live with for the rest of his life.

Cerebral palsy involves brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing and thinking and is usually caused by injuries or abnormalities of the brain and in some cases by hypoxia (damaging of the brain during periods of low levels of oxygen.)

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