Bringing a child into the world is an experience that many people cherish for the rest of their lives. This feeling can quickly disappear once you have found out that your baby might have something wrong with them. All parents pray for a child to be born in optimum health but this is not always the case. 10,000 babies that are born each year will actually develop cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy can be due to a number of problems that are impacting the developing brain. These disorders can impact muscle coordination, posture, and body movement as a whole. This usually happens during fetal development or during the birthing process. The lack of oxygen to the brain or trauma can also cause these complications during early childhood.
How Did This Happen?
There are a variety of risk factors that can cause cerebral palsy which include premature birth and low birth weight. The health of the mother during the pregnancy is crucial as something like an infection can impact the child’s brain. The placenta might also not be transmitting the right nutrients and oxygen to the brain of the child during pregnancy.
The other side of this is that this life altering condition is caused by the fault of somebody else. A traumatic birth causing this condition can be placed directly on the doctor delivering the baby. Misreading the signs of distress of the baby after birth can contribute to this condition. One thing to note is there is a difference between an accident and medical negligence. If you decide to consult a lawyer, the lawyer will help you understand the difference. If the doctor is at fault then you will receive help with medical bills, home modifications, and other expenses caused by the mistake. The Cerebral Palsy Group notes that the lawsuit you file will look at a number of factors before deciding on any type of settlement.
Accommodating Your Child
One of the hardest jobs is to adjust everything in the home to make it accessible for your child. Obviously during infancy this will not be a huge deal as there are certain places you do not want your infant going. If you have a single story home already you should not upgrade to a multistory home as this can be difficult for your child to navigate. It is important for you to push your child when it comes to physical therapy as well. The atrophying of muscles can be slowed by use of the muscles on a daily basis. Finding friends with the same condition can be a huge help as well for your child. Meeting these parents of other children can be a huge help as you can trade tips you use to make everyday life a bit easier.
Help For You
Being the parents of a child that has cerebral palsy can be quite tough in a variety of ways. Financially there will be quite a bit of money that needs to be spent to help get your home ready for the child. The emotional impacts of this can be tough as having a child is tough enough but raising a child with special needs multiplies this difficulty. It is common for the parents to play the blame game on each other. The father might blame the mother for exercising too far into pregnancy and the mother can blame the father if they were involved in a car accident during the pregnancy. Blaming each other isn’t going to accomplish anything so it is important to look for help. There are plenty of support groups for parents of children with special needs that shows you that this happens to other couples, not just you. Take the time to look into some kind of counseling for both of you as a couple and individually. Counseling is also recommended for your child once they have developed further as having special needs can be difficult for a child to accept.
Nobody plans for their child to have anything wrong with them, it is how you respond that will make the world of difference. Be aware of what can happen and what to do when it does happen. You will love your child regardless but it is important to make sure they are taken care of appropriately by being prepared by researching cerebral palsy.
