Tag Archives: cerebral palsy
Chilled Blankets Decrease Rates of Cerebral Palsy, Study Says
A federally funded study found that using chilled blankets immediately after birth reduces the risk of cerebral palsy and infant death. The study charted survival rates of children born with birth trauma, mainly lack of oxygen during birth (hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a.k.a HIE). Doctors studied 208 births in various hospitals across the country. Doctors identified children with HIE within six hours of their birth and administered either traditional treatments or a cooling blanket. Cold water circulates through the blanket, cooling the newborn’s temperature. Researchers found that newborns in the traditional treatment group had a mortality rate of 44 percent, while newborns given the chilled blanket treatment (called hypothermia) had a mortality rate of 28 percent. They were also less likely to develop conditions usually associated with traumatic birth, such as cerebral palsy, limited motor function, vision problems and epilepsy. The hypothermia treatment is standard practice at many hospitals. The study expands…
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Posted in Birth Trauma, Cerebral Palsy Tagged birth trauma, birth trauma lawyer, cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorney, chilled blanket, hie, infant death, traumatic birth Comments Off on Chilled Blankets Decrease Rates of Cerebral Palsy, Study Says
Failure to Perform Cesarian Section Could Cause Birth Defects
When a traditional birth may cause complications for the child, the mother or both, doctors will perform a cesarean section. In a cesarean section, the doctor makes an incision in the abdominal wall and removes the baby through the incision. Cesarean sections are increasingly common: in 2009, 33 percent of births were performed with a cesarean section, a record high. There are many reasons for a doctor to recommend a cesarean section, or for a patient to choose one voluntarily. The placenta may block the cervix (placenta previa); the patient may develop diabetes during pregnancy, which typically leads to babies with higher birth weights; the baby may not be receiving enough oxygen (fetal distress); or the woman may be pregnant with twins or triplets, in which case a cesarean section is usually the safest mode of delivery. If a doctor fails to realize that a cesarean section is the safest…
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Posted in Birth Defects Tagged birth defect warning signs, cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, cesarean section Comments Off on Failure to Perform Cesarian Section Could Cause Birth Defects
Mother Sentenced for Starving Her Disabled Daughter
Angela Norman’s daughter Makayla died on March 1, 2011. She was 14 years old and weighed 28 pounds. She exhibited many signs of neglect, including numerous bedsores. The coroner’s office said that she died from nutritional and medical neglect complicated by a chronic condition – she had cerebral palsy. Ken Betz, director of the coroner’s office, said Makayla was the “worst malnourished child this office has ever seen.” Norman pleaded guilty to a felony count of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and to misdemeanor and felony counts of endangering children. She was sentenced to nine years in prison. The maximum sentence she could have received was ten years. Three nurses – Mollie E. Parsons, Kathryn Williams and Mary K. Kilby – are also facing charges for failing to report the situation at the Norman household. Parsons’ job was to visit the home six days a week and administer care. Williams was Parsons’…
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Posted in Cerebral Palsy Tagged angela norman, cerebral palsy, cerebral palsy attorneys, makayla norman Comments Off on Mother Sentenced for Starving Her Disabled Daughter
