Some birth injuries can be identified immediately. A doctor who incorrectly uses forceps could cause bone fractures, for instance, that are immediately apparent after delivery.
But with other birth injuries, it can take a long time for parents to identify them. One example of this is cerebral palsy, which is a disorder that can develop if a child’s brain doesn’t get proper oxygen during labor, birth, and delivery. The lack of oxygen can cause neurological damage, and much of that damage may be permanent. Cerebral palsy is often a lifelong disability.
Missing milestones
Not only do parents not identify cerebral palsy right away, but it can take years. In many cases, a child isn’t diagnosed until they are one or two years old, and it can take even longer depending on the symptoms they exhibit.
The trouble is that cerebral palsy affects development, so parents are often looking for milestones. For instance, a child may be significantly delayed when learning to crawl or learning to walk. They may have language delays so that they don’t communicate effectively.
But when children are very young, they can’t crawl, walk or communicate anyway. It may not be possible for parents or even medical professionals to identify some of these limitations in a newborn. It is only as the child gets older and begins missing key milestones, which they would otherwise meet, that the parents realize there’s a significant problem.
This delay in diagnosis can make cerebral palsy cases complicated, especially if you believe medical negligence or malpractice contributed to the injury. It’s important to understand all of your legal options at this time.