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It can be very difficult to determine why a child has cerebral palsy. This disease that can cause problems with muscle coordination including the need to use a walker or a wheelchair affects about 3.3 births per 1,000 can have many different causes including lack of oxygen to the brain during the birthing process, infections, premature births and not getting vaccines. If your child has cerebral palsy, then consider the possibility that the hospital may be at fault.
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Used Assistive Reproductive Technology
Children who are born as a result of their parents using assistive reproductive technology are at a 10 percent higher risk of having cerebral palsy. Yet, many doctors do not let their patients know that this is a possibility. Researchers are not sure why there is a correlation, but they think it may be because many of these babies are not carried to full term, and that increases the likelihood of the brain not developing fully. Doctors should inform future parents of this possibility.
Disrupted Oxygen Supply
Unfortunately, things can go wrong during the delivery of a baby. For example, the oxygen supply may be cut off. Sometimes, this can be a result of the hospital not following protocol. If that is the case, then parents need to contact a lawyer, such as those from Snyder & Wenner, P.C, to make the medical team responsible for their actions causing the birth injury. Raising a child with cerebral palsy is much more expensive than raising a normal child, and they should have to help you cover those costs.
Delay in Diagnosing Jaundice
Some babies who are born healthy later develop jaundice. When it occurs, a chemical called bilirubin builds up in the baby’s blood. If it is not caught early, then a condition called kernicterus can develop. Babies who develop kernicterus are much more likely to have cerebral palsy than other babies. Treatment for jaundice is usually very simple if it is caught early on. Doctors should be watching for this condition turning the skin yellow in all their young patients.
Using Improper Hygiene Practices
Some cases of cerebral palsy develop because the mother gets an infection during her pregnancy. Mothers should take steps to make sure that they are not exposed to chickenpox, rubella or other infectious diseases while they are pregnant. Unfortunately, sometimes poor hygiene practices at the doctor’s office can lead to the mother getting an infection. When this happens, then the baby is more likely to be born with cerebral palsy.There are many different reasons that a baby may have cerebral palsy. Use these ideas to think about why your baby may be one of them. Understand, however, that often the cause of cerebral palsy cannot be determined.