Cerebral palsy is a term that describes conditions that affect a person's bodily movement, posture and their ability to balance themselves. According to the Center for Disease Control's website, a recent study found that 1 in 303 children suffers from cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy can either result from brain injury at birth or developmental abnormalities. When brain injuries occur during birth due to medical malpractice, healthcare providers may be held liable.

In many instances, doctors and nurses can identify a child's risk factors to determine their chances for cerebral palsy. Babies who are premature have an increased chance because their lungs are not fully developed and therefore, they may not receive adequate oxygen to the brain. Babies born in the breech position may experience umbilical cord prolapse in which the cord becomes compressed and cuts off blood flow and oxygen to the newborn's brain. If a baby suffers from oxygen deprivation during birth, this may cause brain damage which can result in cerebral palsy. It is crucial for healthcare providers to determine a newborn's risk in order to develop a plan of action in the event that a birth complication occurs. When practitioners are properly prepared to address complications in a timely fashion, they reduce a child's risk for birth injuries such as cerebral palsy.

In many cases, cerebral palsy is not evident to physicians or parents at birth, but rather as the child develops. Some children suffer from mild cerebral palsy, while others with severe cerebral palsy may suffer lifelong complications and disabilities. People living with cerebral palsy have trouble controlling body movement, therefore making it hard for them to walk and perform everyday tasks independently. Additionally, they may suffer from visual, hearing and speech impairments. If a healthcare provider fails to recognize or treat potential brain injuries at birth, they can be held responsible for a child's injuries.

Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys have experience handling birth injury matters and have represented a number of clients who have been victimized by medical negligence at birth. For instance, our attorneys recovered $2.3 for a child when a hospital and doctor failed to identify that the child's mother had suffered a uterine rupture during delivery. As a result, the child sustained a serious brain injury at birth due to oxygen deprivation, which resulted in cerebral palsy.

The Chicago birth injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti believe that all victims of medical malpractice at birth should be fairly compensated for their injuries. If you believe that a medical practitioner was negligent and their failures caused your child to suffer from cerebral palsy, we may be able to help you seek justice.

Please contact us at 312-332-2872 or 877-374-1417 or complete our online medical malpractice lawsuit evaluation form and an experienced attorney will call you back to discuss your legal options.