Recently, a Tennessee jury awarded the family of a girl born with cerebral palsy $32.8 million. According to the medical malpractice lawsuit, the child suffered brain damage as the result of errors at birth. The jury determined that the nurses who were attending the mother during labor had failed to alert the child's mother about a significant change in the baby's heart rate. This failure, the jury concluded, along with other delivery errors caused the infant to suffer brain damage, and ultimately led to the development of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
If you believe your child has suffered a birth injury as a result of a medical error or negligence at birth, it is important to consult with a top California birth injury attorney right away. A skilled San Francisco birth injury lawyer can begin an investigation into all of the factors that may have caused or contributed to a particular incident and help you determine the best options in your matter.
Here, news reports that heart monitor indicated that the baby's heart rate dropped significantly over the course of 13 minutes during labor, likely as the result of oxygen deprivation to the baby's brain – possibly caused by a kink in the child's umbilical cord. Although two nurses in the case noticed the change, they failed to act quickly to obtain an emergency C-Section. Had the child been delivered even 15-17 minutes early experts testified, the child may have suffered minimal brain damage or possibly none at all.
The child now has spasms in her legs and arms, difficulty controlling her neck, speaks very little and has trouble walking.
There is no known cure for cerebral palsy and instead, help is geared towards treatment for the child so that they can be as independent as possible. Medication and medical treatments, speech therapy and physical and occupational therapy are all valid avenues by which to help your child.
For more information, or if you believe your child has sustained a significant birth injury as the result of medical malpractice or negligence, please contact the top San Francisco birth injury attorneys at Bostwick & Peterson for a consultation.