Cerebral palsy is a birth injury that can be caused when a baby’s brain does not get proper oxygen. This can cause a lifelong brain injury, and it often affects muscle movement. Someone who has cerebral palsy may have limited body control and coordination, and they may even have issues with muscle tone, such as muscles on one side of the body being stiffer than on the other.
In many cases, cerebral palsy is caused by issues during the birth itself. For instance, a slow delivery or issues with an umbilical cord could cut off oxygen to the child’s brain at this crucial time. Even if this only lasts for a brief amount of time, it could cause irreversible brain damage during the birth.
However, experts note that the general age at which cerebral palsy is diagnosed is around three years old. Why is there such a significant delay, where it takes years to make a diagnosis?
Children miss milestones
The problem is that children are young and still developing, so a common sign that someone has cerebral palsy is when they begin to miss important milestones. A baby may not roll over, learn to crawl or learn to walk at the time that the pediatrician would expect. This can indicate that there are muscle control issues, leading to a cerebral palsy diagnosis.
But it can take months or years for children to reach these milestones in the first place. Parents have to wait until the child has reached the appropriate age, and only then will they realize that the child isn’t keeping up with the developmental expectations. This may not be obvious at the beginning when the child is simply too young to crawl or walk anyway.
Seeking legal guidance
These delays can sometimes complicate cerebral palsy medical malpractice cases. Parents who are affected need to know exactly what steps to take.