New Mexico parents may want to know that researchers have discovered a stronger genetic cause for cerebral palsy than once had been thought, leading them to call for unnecessary cesarean deliveries to end. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a review arguing that up to 45 percent of people with cerebral palsy can blame genetic factors. The review was written by the Australian Cerebral Palsy Research Group. The leader of the research group and a professor at the University of Adelaide stated that courts should keep the findings in mind because many cases of cerebral palsy are unable to be prevented by differences in labor management.
Cerebral palsy has long been believed to be caused by brain damage due to a lack of oxygen during birth. This belief, along with the desire to recover some of the costs of raising children with cerebral palsy, may have fueled parents’ litigation against the medical staff that could be held responsible.
One of the researchers stated that cerebral palsy has become an umbrella diagnosis for any child with a non-progressive disorder related to posture and movement control. There are many types of these disorders, and they can have many causes, including genetic. Future research will focus on detecting the disorder in early pregnancy.
Delivery room errors can often cause significant medical problems for both the mother of the child and the infant. Those who have been damaged as a result may wish to speak with a medical malpractice attorney in order to determine if there are any available legal remedies. The attorney might examine the pertinent medical records and, with the assistance of expert testimony, determine if the obstetrics staff failed to observe the appropriate standard of care.