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Photo of Malachi Daws
Photo of Malachi Daws
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Children Deserve The Best Care Possible

The birth of a child should be a joyous occasion for parents. But when things go wrong, a child can sustain injuries that will affect them for the rest of their life or even death. At The Daws Law Firm, we help families across the state of Texas and the country recover compensation for injuries and death caused by preventable birth injuries, including cerebral palsy.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain disorder that occurs to a developing brain, most often before birth. It is a disorder of movement, muscle tone and posture. Disabilities may be limited primarily to one limb or one side of the body or may include the entire body. The brain disorder does not change with time, so symptoms usually do not worsen with age.

Signs of cerebral palsy appear during infancy and preschool years. In general, cerebral palsy causes one or more of the following conditions:

  • Impaired movement, such as lack of coordination and impaired reflexes
  • Difficulty with precise movements (such as picking up a crayon)
  • Unsteady walking
  • Problems swallowing
  • Speech development delays
  • Seizures
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Vision and hearing difficulties

Causes Of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is caused by an abnormality or disruption in brain development, usually before the child is born. Factors that may lead to problems with brain development that could cause cerebral palsy include:

  • Lack of oxygen to the brain from a difficult labor or delivery
  • Traumatic head injury during birth or from an accident in infant years
  • Infant infections that cause Inflammation in and around the brain
  • Fetal stroke due to a disruption of blood supply to the brain during the pregnancy
  • Maternal infections
  • Gene mutations

Risk Factors For Cerebral Palsy

The following factors are associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy:

  • Maternal health problems — Certain maternal infections and health problems during pregnancy can damage a developing baby’s nervous system and lead to cerebral palsy. Some of these health issues can include: certain STIs, thyroid problems, rubella or chickenpox.
    • Infant illness — Newborn illnesses known to greatly increase the risk of cerebral palsy. Illnesses include jaundice, meningitis and encephalitis. 
      • Pregnancy and birth complications — Additional pregnancy and birth factors associated with increased risk for cerebral palsy. These may include: Breech births, babies born under 5.5 pounds, and babies born before 37 weeks.

      What To Do If You Suspect Your Baby May Have Cerebral Palsy

      It is important to get a prompt diagnosis from your child’s doctor for any suspected signs of cerebral palsy. If cerebral palsy is confirmed, treatment, therapy and care plans can be made to help the child reach their best potential.

      How We Can Help You

      Cerebral palsy can be caused by the negligence of medical professionals. Families who have babies with cerebral palsy have questions about what happened that are often left unexplained by negligent medical professionals without the litigation process. After a bad outcome with a patient, doctors and hospital personnel often engage in secretive, post-injury review, but often they refuse to tell their findings to those injured, which leaves families wondering — what happened? Besides questions, families are often left with extensive past and future medical bills, funeral costs, and unimaginable emotional grief and pain.

      At The Daws Law Firm, our lawyers have an impressive track record of helping families uncover answers about how their baby was injured or killed and holding those responsible accountable for their actions. Answers not only help bring closure to families, but also help medical providers better treat the condition, school administrators help with the education process and government agencies assist with potential benefits. We have also helped families receive substantial compensation to help offset the past and future financial costs of these injuries and to provide some semblance of financial compensation for their loss.

      If you believe your child was injured at birth due to the negligence of a medical provider, call 409-838-6000 or send a message online to schedule a free consultation at our Beaumont office with an experienced medical malpractice attorney.