Genetic disorders and problems that reduce the blood supply and the amount of oxygen that the fetus gets during the first six months of pregnancy: This affects how the child’s brain develops while in the womb.

An oxygen deficiency can also occur at birth if the amount of oxygen the baby’s brain gets is too low: This can result in a condition called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

If the mother’s blood is incompatible with that of the fetus, brain damage can also result: This is referred to as the Rh factor and is commonly manifested in the mother’s cells attacking those of the fetus.

Severe physical trauma to the mother during delivery can cause the fetus to have cerebral palsy: Repeated urinary tract infections during pregnancy should be of concern to the woman’s doctor.

Buckfire & Buckfire P.C’s medical malpractice attorneys handle cases involving medical mistakes causing cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy can be caused due to medical errors and negligence before and during the birth of a baby. Cerebral palsy can also be caused by severe jaundice, and head injury. The brain damage caused by this condition is permanent.

Cerebral palsy cases involving brain injury at birth make up about 10 – 15% of all cerebral palsy lawsuits. However, there have been occasions when mistakes made by doctors and other health care practitioners have led to brain damage in an otherwise healthy infant. Infants can experience seizures shortly after birth, if these go unnoticed and untreated, brain damage and cerebral palsy can result.

Very often doctors are reluctant to perform Cesareans, preferring that the mother deliver the baby on her own. Waiting too long to make the decision to remove the baby from the womb can also result in a brain damage and therefore cerebral palsy. The equipment that is used in a delivery room can also lead to brain damage. This can happen if vacuum extractor or forceps are used too much or improperly during labor.