Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a serious birth injury that results from injury to the brain during childbirth or delivery, due to trauma, or a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain. Cerebral palsy refers to a number of neurological disorders characterized by difficulty with motor coordination. Cerebral palsy can range from mild to severe.

At this time, there is no cure for cerebral palsy. Often children with cerebral palsy will require extensive medical attention and treatment for their entire lives.

Cerebral palsy most often occurs in infants who are born prematurely or have suffered trauma during delivery. Medical malpractice may also be the cause, including if a doctor fails to perform a c-section in a reasonable amount of time, improper treatment of a premature infant, or failure to monitor the fetal monitor during labor or delivery.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy include:

▪ Developmental delays
▪ Abnormalities of muscles or reflexes on one side of the body
▪ Abnormal posture
▪ Abnormal reflexes
▪ Seizures
▪ Low muscle tone
▪ Dragging a foot or leg when walking
▪ Trembling in the arms and legs
▪ Involuntary muscle movement

Clear symptoms will develop by the time the child is 3 years old, but early symptoms may begin to show up as early at 6 months of age, especially if the parent is paying close attention and is aware of the signs.

If medical malpractice or negligence is the cause or likely cause, the time available for the family to act is very limited. Because of the different statute of limitations each state provides for medical malpractice cases, and the amount of time it may take for a parent to discover their child has cerebral palsy, a parent who fails to act promptly may lose compensation for their child, even if medical malpractice is the cause. Since the family may incur a life time of medical care treatment and expenses, if medical malpractice is the cause of the cerebral palsy, it is critical that the family seek out a birth injury child attorney specialist such as Dr. Bruce Fagel immediately.