Placental cerebral infarction is a serious condition that affects the flow of blood from the placenta to a fetus. As a form of cerebral hypoxia, placental cerebral infarction reduces the supply of oxygen to the baby’s brain during various stages of development or operative surgery. Depending on the area of the brain that is damaged due to reduced oxygen, this birth injury could result in cerebral palsy or other disabilities. You should make it a priority to speak with a Cleveland birth injury lawyer if your baby has been harmed.
Causes of Placental Cerebral Infarction
A fetus’ supply of oxygen could be affected during pregnancy as well as labor and delivery. Problems during pregnancy that may cause placental cerebral infarction include:
- maternal diabetes;
- preeclampsia;
- fetal anemia;
- lung malformations;
- congenital fetal infections;
- cardiac disease; and
- problems with the flow of blood to the placenta.
When a doctor performs operative surgery or a Caesarean section, some problems could result in cerebral hypoxia. For example, if the placenta bleeds excessively or the placenta or uterus is ruptured, it could affect the supply of oxygen to the child’s brain. If the doctor fails to respond to the mother’s low blood pressure or the late stages of labor are prolonged, this can also result in a serious birth injury.
Effects of Placental Cerebral Infarction
If the reduced flow of blood was confined to a specific region of the brain, only that part of the brain will sustain damage. For example, if the left side of the brain is impacted, this may cause speech and language problems, while damage to the right side could result in difficulty expressing emotions.
In a mild case of cerebral hypoxia, the child may have reduced short-term memory and problems learning complicated tasks. In more serious cases, this condition may result in seizures, coma, and even brain death.
Cerebral palsy may also occur as the result of placental cerebral infarction. Typically developing by 2 to 3 years of age, cerebral palsy can impair an individual’s control of movement. In some cases, children with cerebral palsy may also have learning disabilities, seizure disorders, and mental retardation. While this brain damage will not spread over the course of the child’s life, it may change; sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Contact a Cleveland Birth Injury Lawyer
When placental cerebral infarction is misdiagnosed or caused by a physician, you may be entitled to file a medical malpractice claim to recover damages for your child’s birth injury. Your birth injury lawyer can work with a medical expert to prove that the doctor or hospital staff’s actions or negligence was responsible for your child’s condition. If your claim is successful, you may be compensated for medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
The effects of placental cerebral infarction could potentially last a lifetime, resulting in extensive medical treatments and diminished quality of life. At the Becker Law Firm, we are dedicated to helping parents and children who have been affected by a birth injury. With years of training and experience, our birth injury lawyers possess the skill necessary to handle your case. Contact our law office at (440) 252-4399 today to discuss your claim.