Every parent knows what it’s like to make that exciting trip to the hospital and to give birth to a child. It’s a day that’s impossible to describe and it’s a level of excitement that people never forget. The feelings of hope, anxiety and excitement are never more intense. Fortunately, most people who go through this experience can look back on it with pride and extreme happiness. In short, there’s nothing like giving birth to a child and starting a new life together as a family.
Unfortunately, some parents do not get to enjoy this type of experience. As exciting as it is to watch your child being born, the horror that parents experience when something goes wrong during birth is equally impossible to describe. This is especially true if the child loses oxygen for any period of time, and when that loss of oxygen is the result of a mistake made by medical professionals overseeing the birth, the aftermath of such a trying experience can be extremely difficult. Sadly, many children who lose oxygen during birth suffer brain damage that leads to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
At this point, there is no cure for cerebral palsy, although the medical research world is working tirelessly in its fight against this condition. It’s understandable that parents of children who have been diagnosed with this cerebral palsy would look at almost any option for a child that does not involve pain or additional suffering in a search for any type of improvement. Perhaps it’s time for some parents to hold out some hope, as a new cerebral palsy study is already showing a lot of potential.
Researchers at Georgia Regents University are gathering subjects to continue with a study that will look at the use of stem cells that are drawn from the cord blood that was originally saved and stored from the births of these children. These stem cells are injected into the patients and their progress is being tracked. While it’s extremely early, the few children who have undergone these treatments have shown some improvement in terms of their ability to walk, talk and handle other tasks that are made difficult if not impossible for those suffering from cerebral palsy.
However, the amount of data available at this point is miniscule, which is why researchers are looking to add more subjects for their work. Parents of children with cerebral palsy all over the United States are waiting and hoping for any sign of tangible progress, and perhaps this will ultimately prove to be a big step towards handling this condition effectively.
In the meantime, parents whose children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy may be suffering in silence as they wonder if that loss of oxygen during the birth was what caused it and whether that loss of oxygen was the fault of those who were supposed to protect that child. If you have had these thoughts, contact the New York medical malpractice lawyers at The Fitzgerald Law Firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.