Signs Your Baby’s Cerebral Palsy Could Be Linked to a Birth Injury

If you’re in Chicago, you’re living here with 2.7 million people in a huge city. People from all over the world live here, and around 27,000 to 31,000 babies are born here every year. That’s a lot of tiny humans learning how to walk, crawl, and fall over.

Out of all those babies, roughly 3 in every 1,000 might end up with cerebral palsy, based on national statistics. If your baby shows signs early, it might help to talk with a Chicago Cerebral Palsy lawyer to see what options are out there.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy, or CP, is basically when your baby’s brain doesn’t control their muscles and movement as it should. It’s not one thing, though; it can be lots of things.

Sometimes babies are really stiff, sometimes floppy, sometimes their arms or legs don’t move the way they’re supposed to. And sometimes it comes with other challenges like trouble seeing, hearing, or even talking.

CP happens because of brain damage or unusual brain development. That damage can happen before birth, during birth, or right after.

A lot of times, it’s not anyone’s fault, but medical mistakes can sometimes play a role. And when that happens, it’s something parents should know about.

How Birth Injuries Can Cause Cerebral Palsy

Not every case of CP comes from a birth injury, but a lot of scary stories start there. If a baby doesn’t get enough oxygen during delivery, or if there’s trauma to the head, brain damage can happen.

Things like prolonged labor, umbilical cord problems, or a complicated delivery using forceps or vacuum tools can lead to injury.

These injuries are preventable if doctors and nurses respond quickly and carefully. When injuries occur, parents need legal guidance. If you fully understand what happened to your baby, you have a better shot at getting support for them.

Common Causes and Risk Factors

Some of the common causes that can link CP to birth injury include:

• Oxygen deprivation during labor or delivery (sometimes called asphyxia)
• Trauma to the baby’s head during delivery
• Complications like placenta problems, uterine rupture, or umbilical cord issues
• Premature birth or very low birth weight
• Maternal infections that aren’t treated properly
• Prolonged labor, especially over 20 hours
• Misuse of delivery tools like forceps or vacuums

Even if you did everything right as a parent, these things can still happen. That’s why watching for early signs is so important.

Signs to Watch for in Your Baby

Cerebral palsy symptoms don’t always show up right away. At first, they might seem totally normal. But as they get bigger, some things start to stand out.

Here are a few symptoms to look for:

• Movements that are jerky or all over the place.
• Muscles that feel stiff or super floppy.
• Weird, slow wriggling, twisting, or flopping around.
• Walking funny, like on toes, or super stiff-legged.
• Missing the normal baby milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, reaching for toys, or saying words on time.

Sometimes, babies can show other symptoms, like one eye wandering, trouble seeing, or even seizures. Not every kid will have all these signs. But if you spot a bunch of them, it’s smart to check in with your pediatrician and see what’s going on.

Key Takeaways

• Over 27,000+ babies are born in Chicago every year, and a good number of them end up with CP.
• CP is when a baby’s brain makes muscles and movement tricky. It can be mild or super tough.
• Not all CP comes from birth injuries, but some do, especially when the baby suffered oxygen problems, trauma, and birth complications.
• Some of the symptoms that tell you your baby has CP include: stiff muscles, floppy muscles, weird movements, or delays in hitting developmental milestones.
• If something bad happened during birth, knowing your options can help.