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Cerebral palsy is caused by irreversible damage to the brain that may affect movement and mental capacity. It may be caused as a result of Medical Negligence occurring during or shortly after delivery. However, cerebral palsy is usually a natural phenomena and it is now thought that less than 10 per cent of all cerebral palsy cases are linked to birth.

Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by brain damage usually occurring during or after birth as opposed to muscular or nerve abnormalities. There are three main categories : spastic, athetoid and ataxic cerebral palsy together with a fourth category which is a mixture of some or all of the other three main categories.

The following are some of the possible causes of cerebral palsy by medical negligence of healthcare providers: failure to perform certain tests or the misinterpretation of test results; delays in a caesarean section when the baby is obviously in distress; non-delivery of the baby more than 24 hours after the membranes have been breached; over-use of vacuum extraction equipment or forceps and no paediatrician present when problems could have been evaluated.

Medical practitioners often refuse to make an early diagnosis as there are other conditions that can mimic cerebral palsy. The diagnosis will not be clear until the child is old enough to have specific muscular control sufficient to display the traits of cerebral palsy and you may have to wait until your baby is 18 months or more before cerebral palsy can be properly diagnosed. If you suspect your child has cerebral palsy as a result of medical negligence you will need to discuss with a solicitor the possibility of making a claim against the healthcare provider.

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