According to DisabilityScoop, contrary to popular belief, cesarean sections (C-sections) may not lower the risk of a baby developing cerebral palsy during childbirth.
The website reported that a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia, which was published in the December issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that babies delivered via C-section were no less likely to develop cerebral palsy than babies delivered naturally. Researchers reviewed 3,800 cases of children with cerebral palsy, reviewing those involving both elective and emergency situations.
“For over a century it was assumed, without good evidence, that most cases of cerebral palsy were due to low oxygen levels or trauma at birth,” said Alastair MacLennan of the University of Adelaide in Australia who led the review, according to DisabilityScoop.
“This systematic review of the literature clearly shows that the causes of cerebral palsy have little to do with mode of delivery. Therefore, the actual causes of cerebral palsy must lie elsewhere,” MacLennan said, according to the website.
The findings may suggest that vulnerabilities and/or environmental triggers may also be responsible for the disability. According to DisabilityScoop, the research “indicated that further study is needed to pinpoint causes.”
It should be noted that if C-section standards change, so to should a doctor’s practices during deliveries. In addition, the study did not note if C-sections performed earlier in the delivery process could be linked to the disorder or further injuries.
Locate a Birth Injury Lawyer
It is important that cerebral palsy studies like this are performed. The developmental disorder leads to a lifetime of complications that may include intellectual limitations, hearing deficits, vision impairment, behavioral problems, seizures, speaking difficulties and learning disabilities.
If you live in Central Texas and have had a baby that was diagnosed with a birth injury like cerebral palsy, contact our experienced birth injury attorneys today at 1(800) 460-0606 for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP – Birth Injury Attorneys
Did You Know? It is estimated that between 40-50 percent of all children who develop cerebral palsy were born prematurely.
Source: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/11/19/study-c-sections-cp-risk/18902/
