Traditionally, anesthesia has meant the condition of having any feeling of pain or discomfort taken away. And although in most cases, anesthesia is effective in allowing a patient to undergo a procedure that could be quite painful with little to no feeling, in other cases it has proven to do more harm than 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. With an epidural a local anesthetic is injected right near the spinal cord and the nerves that are connected to the spinal cord. This is done so that pain is blocked from the entire region of the body, most specifically, the abdomen, hips, and legs.

How Can Anesthesia Cause Cerebral Palsy?

Research has shown that fetal heart rate can drastically drop can after an epidurals is administered. As a result, babies can also experience fetal distress after epidural anesthesia is given. Although researchers and doctors are unsure as to the exact cause of this, they believe it may be due to the fact that the mother’s blood pressure can drop so low that blood can’t be properly pumped into the uterus in order to deliver oxygen to the unborn baby.

As mentioned above, epidural anesthesia can make it hard for the muscles in the arteries of the patient’s lower body to respond and keep blood adequately flowing through the body. When anesthesia is given to a patient, the ability of the heart to respond to the body’s changing needs, which is changes often in childbirth, becomes impaired. 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.

Most babies of mothers who are receiving epidural anesthesia can develop varying episodes of a slow heart rate And while this doesn’t usually affect a baby who is healthy, it can be potentially harmful for a baby who is already in a compromised position or suffering from another problem during labor.

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. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the muscles in the body as well as the brain and motor functions. The condition can vary in severity; however, no matter what degree a patient has the condition, it is life altering. Researchers have yet to find a cure for cerebral palsy, though treatments are available in helping people cope and live with the condition.

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

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 See Also:

    *CerebralPalsyCauses
    *Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

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