Mesothelioma Legal Advice

Anesthesia is traditionally used to take away feeling of pain or distress. During painful procedures anesthesia is regularly used to numb the pain, but there have been other cases that proved it did more harm than it did good.

There are several different kinds of anesthesia and the kind that is used during surgery depends upon the patient and the procedure being done. The types of anesthesia that are commonly used are:

• Local anesthesia
• Regional anesthesia
• Epidural and spinal anesthesia
• General anesthesia

When a patient is in labor, the epidural anesthesia is typically used. A local anesthetic is injected by the spinal cord and the nerves that are connected to it when an epidural is given. The entire body, particularly the abdomen, the hips and the legs are blocked from the pain for this reason.

Cerebral Palsy is Caused by Anesthesia How?

Researchers proved that after an epidural is given, the fetal heart rate can significantly drop. After a mother is given epidural anesthesia fetal distress of the baby can be the result. The exact cause of this is unknown by the researchers and doctors but they assume it is because the blood pressure of the mother is lowered therefore blood cannot be pumped into the uterus correctly so the adequate amount of oxygen is delivered to the unborn baby.

As previously stated, it is difficult for the muscles of the patient’s lower body’s arteries to keep the blood flowing adequately through the body due to the epidural anesthesia. When a patient receives anesthesia, the heart does not respond well to the body’s needs that are changing, especially during childbirth. As a result of the epidural anesthesia not being administered correctly, or due to the doctor’s negligence in monitoring the epidural, the baby could be born with cerebral palsy.

During labor and delivery when the epidural anesthesia is used the baby may experience periods of a slow heart rate and normally thus does not affect a healthy baby, it may be harmful to babies that are at high risk already for instance already suffering from another problem.

Cerebral Palsy Resulting from Anesthesia

As a result of the anesthesia’s strong effects, a baby can develop cerebral palsy due to the lack of oxygen it may be receiving during childbirth. The condition cerebral palsy affects parts of the body such as the brain, the body’s muscles and motor functions. The condition can be severe or mildly severe but however severe it is, it can be life changing. Treatments are available for those living with cerebral palsy because researchers have not yet found a cure for the condition.

You may know someone who has cerebral palsy due to an anesthesia mistake? If so, please contact us today to speak with an experienced cerebral palsy attorney who will better inform you about the legal options available to you and your loved ones.