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Kentucky Birth Injuries and Cerebral Palsy: Do You Know Your Rights?

Louisville, Kentucky - August 26, 2011 - Recent research by the Joint Commission for Hospital Accreditation reveals a surprising fact: most birth injuries are the result of miscommunication between doctors and nurses during the delivery. However, despite efforts to raise awareness of this problem, the attorneys at Gray and White Law have actually seen an increase in the number of birth injuries at Kentucky hospitals.

When a baby is injured during the birth process, whose fault is it? This is a difficult question for new parents, who often struggle with overwhelming feelings of guilt, anxiety, and frustration after a traumatic birth. Many parents and caregivers just want to help their child, and may not give thought to fault or compensation until it is too late.

Educating Parents and Caregivers about Cerebral Hypoxia

In an effort to help parents and caregivers understand how birth injuries occur and their potentially serious consequences, the law firm of Gray and White Law has produced an informational video about cerebral hypoxia that they are making available free to the public. Cerebral hypoxia, a lack of oxygen to the baby's brain, is a major contributor to cerebral palsy.

This informative video describes how a medical team's failure to properly care for and monitor a mother during pregnancy or delivery can lead to her baby suffering cerebral hypoxia, and consequently a devastating medical condition like cerebral palsy. You can view this video today by visiting their birth injuries information section.

Understanding What Causes Birth Injuries

Cerebral hypoxia can be caused by incorrect use of forceps or vacuum extraction during birth. Improper forceps use or vacuum extraction can also lead to other birth injuries like brain damage, skull fractures and eye injuries, which may have long-term consequences for your baby.

In cases where birth is prolonged or delayed, for example when a defective or improperly placed fetal monitor strip is used, the baby's brain can be deprived of oxygen which leads to cerebral hypoxia, and consequently medical conditions like cerebral palsy. In fact, research shows that five out of every 1,000 babies born in the United States will suffer a brain injury during delivery.

About Gray and White Law

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the attorneys at Gray and White Law have helped many Kentucky families whose infants have suffered injuries like brain damage, paralysis, cerebral palsy, shoulder dystocia, and blindness as a result of negligent medical care and improper newborn screening by an obstetrician, assisting doctors, or hospital labor and delivery nurses. If you have questions about your child's birth injury or if you need legal help, please contact the firm toll-free at 1-800-634-8767.

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