Cerebral palsy

Judgement obtained for the client. The damages will be assessed by the court when the client reaches an appropriate age
Defendants: Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust

The Facts

The client was a 34-year-old woman who was just past her due date when she attended hospital to give birth. A CTG during the course of that day showed prolonged deceleration of the foetal heart. In the evening there were further CTG abnormalities.

Tragically, these abnormalities were not acted on by medical staff. As a result the baby’s birth was delayed and the baby suffered from birth asphyxia.

The resultant brain damage means the child has cerebral palsy.

Allegations

• That the medical staff did not monitor and interpret the CTG properly, which resulted in a delay in the baby’s birth.;
• That the delay in the birth caused the baby to be born with extremely low Apgar scores and to develop hypoxic ischaemic encaphalopathy. This lead to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Result

Investigations were carried out and High Court proceedings were issued and served. Liability was admitted by the defendant hospital trust and as a result a High Court judgement on liability and causation was entered by consent.

A large interim payment has been made was agreed to fund care and accommodation for the child and her family. It was necessary in particular to purchase a suitable house to live in.

The case will remain open until the child is of an age where her lifelong needs can be assessed.