Cerebral Palsy

The term "Cerebral Palsy" refers to a brain injury that can occur during the labor delivery of a child. It is often a result of decreased oxygen to the child's brain. There are many conditions that can cause cerebral palsy, including pressure on the umbilical cord and problems delivering the child through the birth canal.

The physician and nurse monitor the well-being of the baby by listening to and observing the pattern of the child's heartbeat. Often, the physician will make the decision to speed the delivery by performing a cesaerian section on an emergency basis.

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe several permanent brain disorders that can affect a child's ability to use motor skills and or perform mental functioning.

Approximately 500,000 people in the United States have cerebral palsy of one form or another. Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed in 8,000 infants and almost 1,500 preschool-age children annually. The three main types of Cerebral Palsy (CP) are Spastic CP, Athetoid CP, and Mixed CP.

Spastic CP is presented with excess muscle tone or tightness. Leg, arm, and/or back movement is stiff. Awkward leg movement is common. Spastic CP is the most common form of Cerebral Palsy.

Athetoid (dyskinetic) CP can affect the entire body. Athetoid CP often presents itself with uncontrolled, slower body movement. Lack of sufficient muscle tone makes sitting straight and walking difficult.

Mixed CP is a combination of both Spastic CP and Athetoid CP. Children with mixed CP have muscles with varying amounts of muscle tone, making them too loose or too tight, resulting in involuntary movements coupled with stiffness.

In people with Cerebral Palsy, messages traveling between brain and muscle are not correctly interpreted. Effects of Cerebral Palsy may change over time, even though CP is not progressive in nature. Cerebral Palsy is not a disease and also not an illness. CP is a physical impairment that affects physical movement of the body. Motion problems associated with CP can range from mild to more severe. Each patient's case of CP is unique and presents differing symptoms.

The diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy is often made within the first three years of life. Parents are often the first to notice that their child is developing much more slowly than normal. Before making a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, a physician may also order lab tests to rule out other causes for the developmental delay (such as Tay-Sachs disease or leukodystrophy). Some of the early signs that a child might have cerebral palsy include: slow to reach developmental milestones and abnormal muscle tone

It is important to remember that these signs listed above are only risk factors for cerebral palsy. Most children who exhibit one or more of these factors will not develop the disease. Before a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy can be made, doctors will carefully examine the childs medical history for other signs that CP is indeed the root of developmental problems.

These signs include:

  • Breech Birth
  • Complicated Labor or Delivery
  • Low Apgar score
  • Premature Birth
  • Multiple births
  • Nervous system defect

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If you suspect that your child has Cerebral Palsy as a result of the negligence of a doctor or other healthcare provider, contact us online or call Theodoros & Rooth at (219) 769-6393, to talk to a lawyer about your potential case today.