How do you determine if my doctor is held liable for Cerebral Palapsy? My baby was diagnosed at 16 months old.

While the exact cause of Cerebral Palsy is unknown, it is commonly thought that most incidents of Cerebral Palsy occur during pregnancy, at the time of birth, or shortly after birth.  While the symptoms may not be noticed and the disease may not be diagnosed until later in life, most children have Cerebral Palsy from infancy.  In order to determine if your child may have developed Cerebral Palsy due to a medical mistake during delivery, it is important to assess the facts and establish whether a birth trauma occurred that could have caused the disease. 

In many cases, a baby who is oxygen deprived during delivery may have brain damage as a result of the birth trauma.  Additionally, babies that are born with severe jaundice may also have brain damage that results in Cerebral Palsy.  In order to know whether your delivery doctor caused a birth trauma that led to Cerebral Palsy in your child is a determination that medical professionals would have to make.  If you believe that your doctor was negligent or made mistakes during delivery, you should consult an attorney in your area to discuss the facts and the options available to your family.