When a child suffers from oxygen deprivation during birth, they could develop a condition called cerebral palsy. This happens because the lack of oxygen leads to brain damage. For instance, the umbilical cord could get wrapped around the baby’s neck, or the mother could have an undiagnosed infection during pregnancy.
In some cases, parents believe that medical malpractice or mistakes made by the attending physician during birth are the reason their child has cerebral palsy. But making such a claim can be complex because they may not even realize their child has the condition for years.
The average age of diagnosis
Most of the time, children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy are around three years old. This means there’s a significant delay from when the brain damage actually occurs until the diagnosis is made.
Why does this happen? A big part of the reason is that cerebral palsy can cause developmental delays, meaning children miss certain milestones.
For instance, a child with cerebral palsy may have trouble moving one half of their body, making it difficult to learn how to walk. But when the child is just a few months old, they don’t have the ability to walk anyway because they simply haven’t reached that developmental stage. Parents may not realize anything is wrong until the child reaches the typical age and struggles to learn along with their peers.
A complex case
If you’re a parent who wants to seek compensation because you believe your child was harmed by medical malpractice, this delay can make your case more complicated. It’s very important to understand exactly what legal options you have at this time.
