Cerebral Palsy is one of most common types of birth injuries today.
CEREBRAL PALSY FAQs  |  CEREBRAL PALSY FACTS  |  CEREBRAL PALSY LINKS

Children may suffer brain damage before, during or immediately following birth. Difficult labor or inappropriate methods of delivery may lead to Cerebral Palsy.  A lack of oxygen during birth, any intracranial bleeding, head trauma or meningitis during the first few days following birth, may also be a cause of Cerebral Palsy.  Premature babies are at a higher risk of developing Cerebral Palsy.

If your child is a victim of Cerebral Palsy, you should be aware that this condition may have been caused by any of the circumstances listed above.

Signs of Cerebral Palsy in infants and children are:

• poor head control,

• startles excessively,

• excessively stiffness or floppiness,

• difficulty sucking and feeding, and

• delays in motor development.

If you detect any of these signs, please consult your doctor.  A neurological examination may be necessary to rule out other possible disorders. Cerebral Palsy is generally diagnosed before the patient is three years of age.

There are three basic types of Cerebral Palsy, depending on which portion of the brain is affected:

• Spastic- movements are difficult and stiff;
• Ataxic- loss of depth perception & sense of balance;
• Athetoid- uncontrolled and involuntary movements.

There is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, but it can be managed to maximize independence.  Cerebral Palsy is not a disease or an illness.  It is a medical condition caused by damage to the brain.  Because of this, it does not progress with age as long as medical guidelines are followed and other factors, such as excessive weight gain, are controlled.

There are a variety of physical, occupational and speech therapy treatment programs for children with Cerebral Palsy, and they vary according to each child's needs. Most treatment programs will include physical, occupational and speech therapy. With the help of mobility aids and communication enhancers, children with Cerebral Palsy may live fairly normal lives.

Parents of a child suffering with Cerebral Palsy should contact an attorney for research into the cause of their child's affliction.

If your child's Cerebral Palsy is due to professional medical malpractice or negligence, you have a right to receive compensation. It is important to see an attorney who is experienced in cases involving Cerebral Palsy.

 

CEREBRAL PALSY FAQs

What is cerebral palsy?
Does cerebral palsy affect everyone the same way?
What are the side effects of cerebral palsy?
Is there a cure for cerebral palsy? What kinds of treatments are available?
I have cerebral palsy. Can I pass it on to my children?
How serious is cerebral palsy?
What causes cerebral palsy? Can it be prevented?
What economic relief is available to those with cerebral palsy?

What is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a medical condition caused by a permanent brain injury that occurs before, during, or shortly after birth. The effect of cerebral palsy is characterized by lack of muscle control and body movement. The cerebral palsy diagnosis is usually made shortly after birth, but may show up later in childhood.

Does cerebral palsy affect everyone the same way?
No. There are four classifications of cerebral palsy:

(1) Spastic - occurs when the muscles are too tight. Patients will have stiff and jerky movement and will often have difficulty letting go of something in their hand. Spastic cerebral palsy is divided into these subcategories:

• Diplegia - affects both arms or both legs
• Hemiplegia - affects limbs on one side of the body
• Quadriplegia - affects all limbs
• Monoplegia - affects only one limb
• Triplegia - affects three limbs

(2) Ataxic - occurs when the muscles are too weak. Patients will be shaky and unsteady. They will often have very poor balance and be extremely unsteady when they walk.

(3) Athetoid - occurs when the muscles fluctuate between being too tight and too weak. Patients will have involuntary movement in the face and arms, and will have difficulty holding themselves in an upright position.

(4) Mixed - occurs when the muscles are affected in a combination of any of the types listed above.


Is there a cure for cerebral palsy? What kinds of treatments are available?
Cerebral palsy is incurable. However, many therapies can be usef cerebral palsy. You should seek guidance from the following professionals.

• Physician - trained in helping developmentally challenged youth.
• Orthopedist - Having a specialist to deal with bone-muscle-tendon issues is critical to the successful treatment of cerebral palsy.
• Psychologist - can help patients and their families deal with the unique stresses of cerebral palsy.
• Physical therapist - can create a regimen of exercises designed to improve strength and movement.
• Occupational therapist - can help the patient to function better in everyday life at school or work.
• Speech-language therapist - to work out communication problems.
• Social worker - to help the family gain access to community resources available to the disabled.

I have cerebral palsy. Can I pass it on to my children?
The answer is No. Cerebral palsy is not a disease, but a condition that is not contagious in any form. A parent who has cerebral palsy cannot pass it to their children. In addition, having cerebral palsy will not affect a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant, maintaining a normal pregnancy, or increase any chances of complications during labor and delivery.

How serious is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is an abnormality in the brain that effects the muscular and nervous systems. There is no cure for cerebral palsy. However, it is not dangerous like cancer, heart attacks, or other serious diseases and it is not a life-threatening situation. Although there is no cure, therapy such as physical, speech, and/or occupational may be very helpful for your health.

What causes cerebral palsy? Can it be prevented?
Cerebral palsy is caused by an injury to the brain during pregnancy, around the time of birth, or shortly after birth. The following injuries may be contributing factors to developing cerebral palsy: infection during pregnancy, jaundice, RH incompatibility, oxygen shortage, stroke, toxicity, bleeding, kidney infections, and urinary tract infections. Some of these factors can be avoided by receiving proper prenatal, labor & delivery and post-natal medical care.

What economic relief is available to those with cerebral palsy?
Up until the age of three, children qualify for early intervention programs either with professionals who provide services in home or in program centers. Under both federal and state law, children between the ages of three and twenty-two are entitled to special education services. These laws guarantee that a child with special needs has access to an educational program, including speech, occupational and physical therapy services and placement in public and private school programs. In addition:

• Respite care. Provides families with occasional relief from the daily care of the child. These services are offered by several state agencies and are often provided free.
• Eligibility for handicap plates. Often times there is an exemption on the sales tax/excise tax for such a vehicle.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI). A federally funded program that sends monthly checks to children who the federal government determines to be disabled.
• Medicaid. Federally funded programs that can extend medical benefits to disabled children who meet the eligibility criteria.
• Special services. Neurology, orthopedic and cardiac clinics. Often times there is no charge to the family for this initial diagnostic evaluation and financial assistance may be available beyond that.

• 20% of children diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy developed CP due to a brain injury during the birthing process.
   
• Approx. 765,000 children and adults in the United States manifest one or more of the signs of cerebral palsy.
   
• 8,000 - 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed annually with cerebral palsy.
   
• Cerebral palsy is identified in 1,200 - 1,500 preschool age children each year.
   

• Cerebral palsy is the second most common neurological impairment in childhood.
   

• Spasticity of one or more limbs is the most common disability now associated with new cases of cerebral palsy.
   
• 45% of children with cerebral palsy also develop mild or severe epilepsy.
   
• Of congenital disorders, CP has the highest life-term costs per new case, averaging $503,000 in 1992 dollars (approx. $650,000 in 2003 dollars).
   
• The degree of disability with CP is: mild (24.9%), moderate (43.8%), and severe (31.3%).
  
  The motor disability is: diplegia (36%), hemiplegia (20.5%), and quadriplegia (40.5%).
   
• 59% of families with a CP child have an income of less than $30,000 per year. The child's medical care costs are assisted by Medicaid in 63% of families.
   
• 84.5%  of children with cerebral palsy receive physical therapy 6 times a month, 50% receive occupational therapy about 5 times a month and 37% see a speech therapist about 5 times a month.
   
• A twin pregnancy results in a child with cerebral palsy 12 times more often than a singleton pregnancy. This is generally due to low birth weight and prematurity associated with twins.
   
• Swedish data indicate that 36% of infants with CP were born at less than 28 weeks gestational age, 25% at 28-32 weeks, 2.5% at 33-38 weeks, and 37% at term (40 weeks).