What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic movement or posture disorders that are caused by the brain's inability to control the body. Cerebral palsy symptoms often appear at birth but may also not be recognized until well into a baby's first year. The degree of cerebral palsy varies from child and can include fine motor task difficulties, speech impairment, loss of balance, uncontrollable hand movements, drooling, mental impairment or seizures.
An incidence of Cerebral Palsy can be emotionally and financially catastrophic for a family because it is a devastating life long condition necessitating intense around-the-clock supervision and treatment of a child. The grief, medical bills and fear of the child’s future can be overwhelming. Life care plan’s must be considered to ensure that the child victim will be provided for after his/her parents are deceased.
Do I have a cerebral palsy birth injury case?
If you experienced one or more of the following during your pregnancy or child's birth, it is possible that your baby's cerebral palsy may be the result of a preventable birth injury:
- Improper pregnancy dating
- Undetected or improperly treated infections
- Low amniotic fluid
- A twisted umbilical cord
- A baby that was too large for gestational age
- Difficult delivery
- Breech birth
- Premature delivery
- Your baby was in fetal distress but the medical staff did not perform a cesarean section
Erb’s Palsy
The Cerebral Palsy which is associated with medical malpractice is Erb’s palsy. This type of Cerebral Palsy is caused brachial plexus nerves stretching and tearing during the birthing process. The result is that a child will have no muscle control and no feeling in his/her arms.
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic Cerebral Palsy is a condition where a child’s muscles are rigid and jerky, and the child has difficulty getting around. There are three types of spastic Cerebral Palsy:
- Spastic Diplegia: A child’s leg and hip muscles are tight, and legs cross at the knees, making it difficult to walk. This kind of movement is frequently referred to as “scissoring.”
- Spastic hemiplegia: One side of a child’s body is stiff.
- Spastic quadriplegia: A child’s total body is affected, they can’t walk and talk and there is incidents of seizures.
Athetoid Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
Athetoid dyskinetic is a condition where a child will have normal intelligence, but total physical limitations caused by muscle dysfunction. Many children afflicted with this type of Cerebral palsy will have trouble walking, sitting, speaking and controlling facial muscles.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy is a condition where a child has difficulty performing tasks that require fine motor skills. Symptoms include irregular gate, poor balance and coordination and tremors.
Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy
Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy is a condition generally associated with brain damage caused by developmental malformations. Symptoms include, an inability of a child to support his/her head, poor motor skills and developmental irregularities.