• Lack of Oxygen
• Pharmaceuticals
• Large Babies
• Unusual Position
• Excessive Force
• C-Section
• Premature Birth
• Cephalopelvic Disproportion
• Dystocia
• Prolonged Labor

If your child's birth is premature, they are eight times as likely to develop cerebral palsy. This is because their lungs don’t have the opportunity to completely develop prior to birth, causing a cutoff of oxygen to their brain. Preemies are also in bigger danger of developing cerebral palsy if their oxygen source is cut off at any time before, during, or after birth.

Complications that can Produce Cerebral Palsy in Pre-term Infants

The birth of a premature baby can be heart wrenching. Often time parents watch their child lying in an incubator, hooked up to monitors, and ask themselves, “What could have gone wrong?” However, a premature birth is only one of the elements that can increase the chances of your baby developing cerebral palsy. Other risk factors are:

• Bleeding of the brain
• Brain damage from forceps and/or vacuum
• Small birth passage
• Prolapsed umbilical cord

Conditions in the mother that may also raise the risk of a baby being delivered early and having cerebral palsy:

• High blood pressure/Hypertension
• A blood clotting disorder, or
• Diabetes

Many times these medical conditions can easily be prevented. For example, your doctor can give you medication that will accelerate your baby’s lung development before delivery. Your doctor or nurse should also keep a watch on your blood pressure and take fast action if it reaches too high a level.

Doctors and nurses are professionally trained to recognize risk factors and take preventative measures. You are right to expect qualified medical treatment for you and your baby.

What if Your Baby was ‘Accidentally’ Born too Early?

Perhaps you went into labor prior to your due date, and the doctors and nurses could not prevent your body from delivering. This kind of premature birth is shocking and terrifying, but also sometimes avoidable. Around 25 to 30% of premature babies arrive as a “spontaneous preterm birth.” This can occur if you have:

• Bacterial vaginosis (this should be treated with antibiotics as soon as it is diagnosed)
• A petite cervix
• An abnormal shaped uterus

These conditions can be recognized early by your doctor. If they are overlooked or ignored, your likelihood of experiencing a spontaneous preterm birth increases.

If you believe that your baby may have suffered a birth injury and you would like to know your legal options, you should immediately speak with an experienced Massachusetts birth injury lawyer. Click here for help.