How do you know if your child's cerebral palsy was preventable?

Determining whether that is what happened in your child's case requires a careful review of the full pregnancy, labor, delivery, and neonatal record by specialists who can identify where the standard of care was not met and whether a different course of action would likely have changed the outcome.

Certain events are commonly examined when investigating whether cerebral palsy was preventable, including:

• Persistent fetal distress not addressed
• Placental abruption or umbilical cord prolapse

• Uterine rupture
• Shoulder dystocia with prolonged oxygen deprivation
• Delayed emergency cesarean delivery
• Lack of response to abnormal fetal heart rate patterns

The presence of these complications does not automatically prove negligence, but each one is a point in the delivery where the standard of care is examined.

How does brain imaging help determine the cause?

MRI is one of the most useful tools for identifying when and how a brain injury occurred. The American Academy of Neurology reports that brain MRI identifies abnormalities in approximately 80% to 90% of children with cerebral palsy, and imaging often helps distinguish injuries caused by oxygen deprivation, prematurity, stroke, or congenital brain conditions. MRI findings are always interpreted alongside the full clinical history rather than in isolation.

What records does a birth injury investigation involve?

Experts evaluating whether cerebral palsy was preventable typically review:

• Prenatal care records and fetal heart monitoring strips
• Labor and delivery notes and timing of cesarean delivery
• Umbilical cord blood gas results and Apgar scores
• NICU records and brain MRI scans
• Placental pathology reports

These records help establish the timing and likely cause of the birth injury and whether the medical team's decisions met the accepted standard of care.

How Sean M. Cleary Can Help in a Cerebral Palsy Case

Cerebral palsy cases involving possible negligence require specialists in obstetrics, neonatology, and pediatric neurology who can read the delivery record, interpret the imaging, and determine whether a different course of action during labor would likely have changed your child's outcome. That is the work attorney Sean M. Cleary and his team do for every family that contacts our office.

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and you have questions about whether a medical error contributed, contact The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary for a free case evaluation.