What You Need to Know About World Cerebral Palsy Day

Today is World Cerebral Palsy Day - a day on which people from all over the world come together to help raise awareness of the neurological condition and make sure children and adults with cerebral palsy (CP) have the same rights and opportunities as others. 

Potter Rees Dolan supports this cause and has worked with many families who have been affected by cerebral palsy and helped to get them into a position where they are able to get all the support they need, when they need it.

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage before, during or shortly after birth, and can lead to babies suffering mobility issues for the rest of their lives. In the most severe cases, this can leave them requiring lifelong care.

What Does World Cerebral Palsy Day Aim to Do?

The day is committed to sharing ideas, experiences and stories about the lives of people with CP to remind the world that we are all the same, regardless of disability. There are a number of key areas around which World Cerebral Palsy Day aims to raise awareness, including:

• Public awareness, by building a true understanding of cerebral palsy
• Civil rights, by ensuring guaranteed rights are real and irrevocable
• Medical/therapy, by providing access to the best healthcare for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment
• Quality of life, by ensuring people with CP enjoy the fullest possible life
• Education, by providing access to appropriate resources and information
• Contribution, by allowing people with CP to make their contribution to society

To find out more about World Cerebral Palsy Day, visit the organisation’s website here.

How to Get Involved in World Cerebral Palsy Day

You can show your support for World Cerebral Palsy Day in a number of ways, including:

• Adding your reason to the Millions of Reasons Map
• Sharing your reason on social media; remember to use #MillionsOfReasons
• Petitioning for wheelchair access at a school, workplace or public place
• Lobbying the government for policy change
• Creating a sports team or social network for people with disabilities
• Finding innovative ways to get out and about in the community

How Can Medical Negligence Lead to Cerebral Palsy?

The most common examples of clinical negligence in the cerebral palsy cases we have handled at Potter Rees Dolan include:

• Delays in diagnosing or misdiagnosing infections in the mother during pregnancy
• Delay in diagnosing or misdiagnosing of bleeding in the baby’s brain
• Poor antenatal care including failure to identify fetal growth restriction
• Poor monitoring of the fetus during labour or misinterpreting a CTG trace, resulting in a delayed delivery that deprives the fetus of oxygen
• Incorrect use of forceps and/or failure to perform a necessary caesarean section
• Negligence in the neonatal period relating to the resuscitation of the baby, or monitoring and treating of neonatal infection, jaundice or hypoglycaemia

Any mistakes made by midwives or doctors before, during or after birth that lead to a child developing cerebral palsy may mean you are entitled to make a claim for compensation. Potter Rees Dolan’s team of specialist solicitors is here to help by getting you the compensation you deserve to provide support and care for your child and family.

Gill Edwards is a member of Baby Lifeline’s Multi-Professional Advisory Panel and is a Partner within our clinical negligence team. Gill said: “Many families who are having to rely on an overstretched NHS and social care resources are, unfortunately, struggling to cope. Compensation can help you adapt your home for your child’s requirements, access 24/7 professional care, afford specialist equipment and therapy, and give you peace of mind for the future, relieving the burden on you and your family.”

To find out more about claiming compensation for cerebral palsy, visit our dedicated page. 

If you or a loved one have developed cerebral palsy as a result of clinical negligence, we are here to listen and help you get the support you need by making a claim for compensation. To speak to a solicitor, call us on 0800 027 2557, or fill in the form on this page to request a call back.