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February 27, 2009

Breakthrough Scientific Discovery: New Compounds May Prevent Cerebral Palsy

Scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., have developed two compounds that may be effective in protecting against cerebral palsy. The findings from their experiments with rabbits suggest that the compounds may have prevented the development of the disorder, which would have otherwise developed, following a lack of oxygen to the fetus. Notably, all of the fetuses born to mother rabbits that were treated with the compounds survived, whereas, over half of those without treatment died. Perhaps most impressive is that 83% of the animals treated with one of the compounds were born without any characteristics of cerebral palsy at all. More testing is necessary before they can conclude that the compounds will work to prevent birth injuries in humans, but these findings bring hope that infants subjected to birth hypoxia, such as those who suffer umbilical cord compression during labor, need not suffer permanent brain damage.

Read more about this exciting cerebral palsy prevention breakthrough in an article published by US News & World Report.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Cerebral Palsy, Fetus/Fetal Asphyxia, Lack of Oxygen to Fetus, Reports & Studies

February 26, 2009

The Risks of Natural Birth Following Previous C-Sections

There are serious risks, both to the mother and her baby, when having a “natural birth” after having delivered an earlier child by c-section. The procedure, known as vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC, for short), has been shown to cause serious injuries. For instance, there is a risk of the mother suffering a uterine rupture, which can be fatal to both her and her baby. There is also a chance that the VBAC will cause the baby to suffer oxygen deprivation (or birth hypoxia), leading to brain damage and cerebral palsy. These risks are compounded by doctors’ errors such as hesitation to perform the delivery or delaying a c-section. Recognizing that the decision to proceed with a VBAC may cause these birth injuries, and potentially be grounds for pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit, many doctors are now refusing to perform them, opting instead for another c-section delivery.

Read more about the risks of VBACS, and the difficulties of finding doctors willing to perform them, in an article by Time Magazine.

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Posted In: C-Section Delay, Cerebral Palsy, Current Issues, Death During Child Birth, Fetus/Fetal Asphyxia, Lack of Oxygen to Fetus, Uterine Rupture

February 25, 2009

Newborn Screening Now Required in All States

Just 4 years ago, only a third of all infants born in the United States were required to undergo screening tests to determine whether they had acquired any of a multitude of conditions. Now, all states and the District of Columbia have enacted rules or regulations requiring newborn screening for at least 21 disorders including genetic, metabolic, hormonal and functional disorders. The screening is important to detect the presence of such birth defects and birth injuries because many have no visible symptoms until after permanent damage has developed. Early detection allows for timely treatment, which can prevent permanent injuries such as brain damage and mental retardation from occurring. If you are interested in learning more about newborn screening and the disorders that it can detect, the March of Dimes is an excellent resource.

Read more about the newborn screening requirements here.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Birth Injury Treatment, Legislation

February 23, 2009

Babies Born in Breech Position Have Greater Risk of Developing Cerebral Palsy

New research, presented at the Third International Cerebral Palsy Conference in Sydney, Australia, indicates that babies born in the breech position (feet-first) are 4 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy later in life than babies born in the normal (head-first) position. According to Diana Heggie, President of Cerebral Palsy Australia, knowing the risk factors of the developmental disorder is just as important as being aware of its current treatment.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Cerebral Palsy, Reports & Studies

February 18, 2009

New Study Finds that Infections during Pregnancy Increase the Risk of Cerebral Palsy

A new study by scientists from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Danish researchers has found that babies born to mothers who develop infections while pregnant have a greater risk of having cerebral palsy. Specifically, the study found that the risk of cerebral palsy was increased by 3 to 6 times when the mother had developed infections such as urinary tract infections. This research suggests that missed or delayed diagnoses of the infections, resulting in a lack of early treatment, may cause this birth injury in some babies.

Read more about the pregnancy infection study here.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Cerebral Palsy, Reports & Studies

February 16, 2009

$4.4 Million Cerebral Palsy Verdict

Last Friday, a jury in a medical malpractice trial awarded $4.4 million to the parents of a child who suffered a severe brain injury at birth. Three days before her scheduled induction, the mother went to the hospital with nausea and vomiting. A fetal heart monitor showed that the baby was in dire stress and in need of an emergency c-section but a nurse misread the data. This delay lead to prolonged oxygen deprivation, causing her daughter to suffer severe brain damage and later develop cerebral palsy. She died a year ago, at the age of less than 4 and a half, of complications from the disorder.

Read more about this birth injury trial here.

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Posted In: C-Section Delay, Cerebral Palsy, Lack of Oxygen to Fetus, Medical Malpractice Lawsuit, Verdicts and Settlements, Wrongful Death

February 13, 2009

Umbilical Cord Compression

The umbilical cord delivers oxygen-rich blood to the fetus. During labor, the cord can become stretched or compressed, interrupting this vital flow. Umbilical cord compression is a relatively common condition, occurring about once every ten deliveries, and often transpires when the cord becomes caught between the baby’s head and the mother’s pelvic bone or when it becomes wrapped around the baby’s neck. Once this happens, the blood flow is interrupted and the level of oxygen that the baby receives begins to decrease. If the baby is deprived of oxygen for a significant amount of time, a condition called hypoxia, it can develop severe injuries including brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness, or developmental delays. Fortunately, this deprivation is detectable. The diminished blood flow can cause short and sudden decreases in the baby’s heart rate, which become visible on a fetal heart rate monitor. Often times, when this is detected, simply administered oxygen to the woman to increase the amount available to the baby is sufficient. In some cases, however, if the baby’s oxygen level is extremely low or if it begins showing other signs of distress, it is necessary to deliver the baby as soon as possible and the doctor may have to perform an emergency c-section. Under these circumstances, time is essential. Mistakes and carelessness by doctors and nurses that delay the operation amount to medical malpractice and can cause permanent brain damage to the baby.

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Posted In: C-Section Delay, Cerebral Palsy, Lack of Oxygen to Fetus, Umbilical Cord Compression

February 11, 2009

Magnesium Sulfate May Reduce Risk of Cerebral Palsy

While babies can develop cerebral palsy a number of different ways, including as a result of medical negligence during birth, premature babies have a significantly higher risk of developing the developmental disorder than babies carried full-term. In fact, about a third of all cases of cerebral palsy occur in pre-term births. Evidence from a new Cochrane Review study, however, indicates that treating women at risk of very preterm birth with magnesium sulfate may increase the baby’s chance of being born free of cerebral palsy by as much as 32 percent. The treatment was also found to decrease the chance of developing other major movement disabilities by 39 percent.

Read more about the magnesium sulfate study here.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Cerebral Palsy, Pre-term Birth, Reports & Studies

February 7, 2009

Untreated Gestational Diabetes May Lead to Shoulder Dystocia and Other Complications

A new study has found that treating even mild gestational diabetes significantly reduces the risk of certain birth injuries and lessens the need for emergency C-sections. Gestational diabetes occurs during late pregnancy, when a mother’s body is unable to produce and use all the insulin that it needs. Without enough insulin, the body is unable to convert the glucose into energy and, as a result, it builds up in the mother’s blood. This blood then reaches the baby through the placenta, giving it more sugar than it needs. The baby stores this excess energy as fat. Because the baby is larger than normal, there is an increased risk of its shoulders becoming lodged behind the mother’s pelvis during delivery, a situation known as shoulder dystocia. If the doctors and healthcare providers are negligent in their delivery, the baby can suffer from Brachial Plexus injuries. These injuries can be severe and permanent and may include paralysis and deformation of the baby’s arms. If you have been diagnosed with even a mild case of gestational diabetes, it is therefore important that you receive proper treatment in order to reduce these risks.

Read more about gestational diabetes and its risks here.

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Posted In: Birth Injury Prevention, Brachial Plexus, Reports & Studies, Shoulder Dystocia

February 6, 2009

Octuplets Still Not in the Clear

Surviving birth may have been only half the battle for the controversial octuplets born last week to a 33-year single mother from Southern California. Although none of the infants suffered any birth injuries, they were born premature, putting them at an increased risk of developing cerebral palsy and other developmental disorders. A new study that looked at late pre-term births found that babies born between the 30th to 33rd gestation weeks may be almost 8 times more likely to have cerebral palsy than babies that were carried the full 37 weeks. The octuplets were carried just 30 weeks. The infants’ doctors have recognized their heightened risk and have stated that they will closely monitor the babies for symptoms that may develop at a later time.

To learn more about the risks facing the babies, and to read about the octuplet mother’s interview on NBC, click here.

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Posted In: Cerebral Palsy, Current Issues, Pre-term Birth

February 4, 2009

Babies Born Even Slightly Premature Are at Much Greater Risk of Developing Cerebral Palsy

New research indicates that infants born just a few weeks prematurely are over three times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than full-term infants. The new study, sponsored in part by the March of Dimes, found that the earlier an infant is born, the higher the risk of some neuro-developmental problems. According to the research, babies born between the 30th to 33rd gestation weeks were almost 8 times more likely to have cerebral palsy than babies that were carried full-term (37 weeks).

Read more about the study here.

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Posted In: Cerebral Palsy, Pre-term Birth, Reports & Studies

February 1, 2009

Mother of child with cerebral palsy states that the only high risk factor she had was being on Effexor during pregnancy

She was told by both her family doctor and her obstetrician that the antidepressant she was taking, Effexor, was safe for her to continue taking through her pregnancy. Within hours of her son's birth, however, it became clear that he had suffered from a birth injury. He was admitted to the natal intensive care unit after suffering from seizures and breathing difficulties and later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Now, 3 1/2 years later, the disorder forces him into a wheelchair and he can’t hold a crayon to draw or speak properly. This mother's story should be a lesson to physicians who consider prescribing antidepressants to pregnant women.

Click here for the full article.

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Posted In: Cerebral Palsy

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.

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