INJURY | PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER | PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY | INJURIES

Cerebral Palsy shows up after birth or during the early years of a child’s life. Cerebral Palsy affects coordination and muscle movement, but isn’t caused by muscle or nerve damage. It is caused by abnormalities in the brain that control muscle movement. Although doctors haven’t narrowed down the exact causes of Cerebral Palsy, children who suffer from brain injuries or brain infections such as bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis can develop Cerebral Palsy. Other causes are believed to include asphyxia, birth trauma and premature birth. Doctors are believed to be the cause of many cases of Cerebral Palsy while delivering children; either doctors use instruments to forcibly extract the baby, such as extracting vacuums or forceps, which results in head trauma and/or brain damage; or they fail to deliver the child before the child has suffered considerable head injury and oxygen depletion. Signs of Cerebral Palsy include:

• lack of muscle coordination
• walking with a crouched gait
• exaggerated reflexes
• muscle tone that is too stiff or too floppy
• walking on the toes
• walking with a scissored gait
• walking with one foot or leg dragging

Some children suffer from greater symptoms than others. While some children may be unable to walk or care for themselves, others merely walk with an awkward gait. Rehabilitation is important, and will help children overcome many symptoms. Rehabilitation includes speech therapy, coordination and muscle therapy, learning to cope with difficult tasks, drugs to overcome muscle spasms and control seizures, and learning to use wheelchairs or walkers. Cerebral Palsy is one of the most expensive developmental disabilities to manage over a lifetime. Many people end up paying more than $1 million over a lifetime. In the U.S., approximately 10,000 children are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when they are born, and more than 1200 children are diagnosed when they reach school age. Contact a personal injury lawyer immediately if you have a child who is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy in order to seek compensation for your medical expenses.  Tags: birth complications, birth defect, birth injury, brain injury, brain injury at birth, cerebral palsy, medical malpractice