Precautions Against Cerebral Palsy in Michigan

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disease that usually manifests during the early years of a child’s life, and is the beginning of a range of disorders that can affect the control of movement in some way. The symptoms of this disease arise before the age of three, and the causes of cerebral palsy can vary. There are a number of signs that can present themselves during the early years of a child’s life, and could indicate the presence of cerebral palsy. In some cases, it can be difficult to diagnose cerebral palsy because some of the symptoms may be so subtle that they are barely noticeable.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, there may be a connection between the improper pre-natal or birth delivery care and the development of this condition. In order to determine if there is a viable case to pursue, it must be established that the negligence of the physicians or medical staff are responsible for the development of the child’s cerebral palsy.

Buckfire & Buckfire P.C handle cases involving cerebral palsy injuries.  This can be a very serious condition and can affect a child throughout his or her lifetime.  There are occasions in which this injury could have been prevented and this can give rise to a child birth injury medical malpractice lawsuit.

In many cases, the cause or causes of congenital CP are unknown, which means that currently little can be done to prevent it. CP related to genetics is not preventable. However, there are actions people can take before and during pregnancy, as well as after birth that might help reduce the risk of developmental problems, including CP.

Proper precautions can be taken to ensure a healthy pregnancy, and help prevent developmental problems, such as CP.  Acquired CP often is related to an infection or injury, and some of these cases can be prevented.

Precautions Before Pregnancy

• Make sure that any infections in the mother are treated and health conditions are in control, ideally before pregnancy occurs.
• Get vaccinated for certain diseases (such as chickenpox and rubella) that could harm a developing baby. It is important to have many of these vaccinations before becoming pregnant.
• If assistive reproductive technology (ART) infertility treatments are used to get pregnant, consider ways to reduce the chance of a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more), such as transferring only one embryo at a time.

Precautions During Pregnancy

• Get early and regular prenatal care, both for your health and for that of your developing baby.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water to help reduce the risk of infections that might harm your developing baby.
• Contact your health care provider if you get sick, have a fever, or have other signs of infection during pregnancy.
• A flu shot is your best protection against serious illness from the flu. A flu shot can protect pregnant women and their unborn babies, both before and after birth. Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies.
• If there is a difference in the blood type or Rh incompatibility between mother and baby it can cause jaundice and kernicterus.  Women should know their blood type and talk to their doctor about ways to prevent problems. Doctors can treat the mother with Rh immune globulin (“Rhogam”) when she is 28 weeks pregnant and again shortly after giving birth to prevent kernicterus from occurring.
• Talk to your doctor about ways to prevent problems if you are at risk for preterm delivery.  Research has shown that taking magnesium sulfate before anticipated early preterm birth reduces the risk of CP among surviving infants.

Contact a Michigan Attorney to Discuss Precautions Against Cerebral Palsy

It is crucial to contact our office as soon as possible so that we can obtain your child’s complete medical chart to determine whether there was negligence involved in the treatment.  There are strict time delays for filing medical malpractice lawsuits in Michigan, so it is crucial to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible to see if your child has valid case.  To speak with one of our experienced cerebral palsy attorneys call us and we will represent you under our No Fee Promise!