What are the causes of congenital cerebral palsy among newborns?

Cerebral palsy is a medical condition that can unfortunately have life-long detrimental effects. There are various measures that can be taken to prevent cerebral palsy; however, incidents are still fairly common. The situation is even worse if the cerebral palsy is due to the negligence of a medical practitioner at the time of childbirth.

Thankfully, Connecticut laws acknowledge this fact and they allow people to claim compensation if it can be proved that cerebral palsy was caused by someone else’s negligence. However, the person who is filing a claim must be fully aware of the various causes of cerebral palsy. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, cerebral palsy is a type of brain damage that can cause abnormal development of the brain, which reduces the child’s ability to have control over muscles.

The CDC says that brain damage, which can lead to cerebral palsy, can happen during birth and even before and after birth; however, any brain damage that occurs during childbirth is referred to as congenital cerebral palsy. According to the CDC estimates, congenital cerebral palsy is most common and accounts for 85-90 percent of all cases of cerebral palsy.

Some of the major causes of congenital cerebral palsy, as identified by the CDC, are as follows:

• Birth complications
• Infections during pregnancy
• Multiple births
• Premature birth
• Low bodyweight at the time of birth
• Assisted reproductive technology, or ART

Upon observing the list closely, many New Haven residents may notice that among the causes listed, there are a number of areas in which a physician, a nurse or a health care facility may commit errors. If a parent is able to understand and identify those areas, it may be possible to hold the negligent party accountable for the birth injury. However, lawsuits stemming from a birth injury can be complicated and an experienced attorney’s help may greatly benefit a grieving parent in such a situation.