Can Cerebral Palsy Be Prevented?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cerebral palsy affects over 10,000 children each year in the U.S., and 30 to 50 percent of those children have an intellectual disability as a result. When a child is born with cerebral palsy, it is often due to events that happen during pregnancy, childbirth, or immediately following the birth.

While many cases of cerebral palsy occur due to unknown causes, some occur as a result of negligence or errors made by medical professionals that could have been prevented. For parents of children with cerebral palsy who believe that their children’s conditions were caused by medical negligence or mistakes, there are legal options they can take. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy affects movement, muscle tone, muscle coordination, or posture. The condition results from damage to the developing brain, typically before birth. Various things, such as abnormal brain development, lack of oxygen to the brain, infections during pregnancy, or brain injury during birth or early infancy, can cause this brain damage.

Cerebral palsy can manifest in different forms and severity levels, impacting motor skills, coordination, muscle spasticity, and sometimes cognitive function, including developmental disabilities. Symptoms of cerebral palsy range from mild to severe, depending on the specific area of the brain that is damaged. Individuals with cerebral palsy might experience heart and lung disease, respiratory issues, and other serious conditions. They may require various forms of therapy and support throughout their lives.

How Can You Prevent Cerebral Palsy?

Various things exist that doctors and parents can do to lower the risk of a child developing cerebral palsy before pregnancy, during pregnancy, during labor and delivery, and after the baby is born. The following are some of the precautions that can be taken to help with cerebral palsy prevention:

Before Pregnancy

• Make sure vaccinations are up to date. Some diseases (such as rubella and chicken pox) can harm a developing baby, so it’s important to be vaccinated prior to becoming pregnant.
• Maintain good health. Ensure that any infections or other contagious conditions are treated promptly, ideally before becoming pregnant.
• Know the risk factors. It's important that doctors determine which, if any, risk factors women have for delivering a baby with cerebral palsy.
• Consider reducing the chances of multiple births. If prospective parents are using assistive reproductive technology (ART) as treatment for fertility problems, they, along with their doctors, should consider ways to decrease the chances of having a multiple pregnancy. For example, transferring just one embryo at a time.

During Pregnancy

• Have regular prenatal care. Pregnant women need to begin having prenatal care as soon as they suspect they are pregnant. Problems with the placenta or fetal membranes can cause or contribute to the development of cerebral palsy if not detected promptly and managed appropriately.
• Reduce the chances of infection or illness. Expectant mothers should wash their hands thoroughly and often to avoid infections and illnesses. Additionally, when moms-to-be run a fever, feel sick, or have other symptoms of illness or infection, they should consult their doctor right away.
• Get a flu shot. Women who expect to be pregnant during flu season or who are already pregnant before flu season should get a flu shot. They are not shown to be harmful to unborn babies, and they may provide the protection needed to prevent a serious influenza case.
• Have an Rh factor test. All expectant mothers should have this test to ensure that there isn’t an incompatibility between them and their unborn babies. If there is, the condition can be treated, and the pregnancy and baby can proceed as normal. Without treatment, adverse outcomes may occur.

During Labor and Delivery

• Know what to expect. It’s essential that expectant parents know what to expect during labor and delivery so that they can alert a nurse or doctor should anything unusual happen during this stage. Delaying medical attention when something is wrong during labor increases the chance of a baby being born with nerve or brain damage.
• Monitor fetal and maternal heart rate. Doctors or nurses should be aware of any dangerous changes in the heart rate of the mother or baby. If the monitoring equipment sounds an alert and there isn’t a medical professional in the room, expectant parents need to call for help immediately.

Preventing Cerebral Palsy After the Baby is Born

• Treat jaundice promptly. Any baby can develop jaundice. When it goes untreated, it can cause a type of brain damage called kernicterus. Kernicterus can cause cerebral palsy, which can be prevented with the proper treatment.
• Stay up-to-date on baby’s vaccinations. Babies need to be protected from meningitis and encephalitis, which can lead to brain damage that causes cerebral palsy. Having all the necessary vaccinations on time will help prevent these conditions from occurring.
• Prevent injuries. Some injuries, especially those that cause trauma to the head, can lead to acquired cerebral palsy. Keeping children safe to prevent such injuries is essential. That means that parents should:
  • Parents should use the appropriate size and type of car seat for their child and ensure that it is properly installed in the car.
  • Babyproof (childproof) the home to prevent injuries from furniture, electronics, windows, etc.
  • Watch young children around any areas with standing water including pools, bathtubs, natural bodies of water, or any other place with water.
  • Make sure children wear helmets when riding a bike.

What To Do When You Believe Your Child’s Cerebral Palsy Was Preventable

If your child developed cerebral palsy and you believe that it is due to a preventable event, you should consider taking action legally. Cerebral palsy is an incurable condition that is costly – both in parents’ stress and energy levels, as well as financially. If a medical professional caused your child’s cerebral palsy by negligence or medical mistake, you may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens that accompany cerebral palsy.

Ross Feller Casey is widely considered among the nation’s top medical malpractice law firms and has an unmatched record of obtaining multimillion-dollar recoveries in birth injury cases, including those involving cerebral palsy.

If your family’s case of cerebral palsy could have been prevented, contact Ross Feller Casey now for help with your claim. We can help you provide for the financial future of your family.

Ross Feller offers a free case evaluation and handles all of its cases on a contingency basis. That means you will never be charged until a financial recovery is made in your case.