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.
What are the
side effects of cerebral palsy?
Side effects of cerebral palsy include seizures, spasms, visual
problems, hearing problems, hyperactivity disorder, speech problems, and
learning problems. Approximately half of all people with cerebral palsy
suffer from seizures. Seizures occur when there is abnormal brain
activity (the brain attempts to send abnormal messages very close
together). Seizures affect people in different ways - some people may
stop moving and stare, others may fall down. Some can cause a person to
fall and shake violently. They are generally not dangerous and will only
last a few minutes.
Is there
a cure for cerebral palsy? What kinds of treatments are available?
Cerebral palsy is incurable. However, many therapies can be used to help
ease the symptoms of 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.
Your Legal
Concerns
While most doctors, nurses,
midwives, and hospital technicians provide a high standard of care for
their patients, unfortunately, many families are harmed by medical
mistakes. A physician may have misread fetal monitoring equipment,
failed to diagnose fetal distress during labor, waited too long to
perform a C Section, administered too much Pitocin, or failed to act in
a timely manner.
Parents of a child
suffering with cerebral palsy should contact an experienced
cerebral palsy lawyer to research the cause of their child’s
condition. Haste is essential. Litigation may be the only way to receive
compensation to which you may be entitled. Such compensation will likely
include lost wages, medical bills, and/or financial compensation to
heirs (in the case of a wrongful death).
Contact Medlaw Legal Team
at cp@medlawlegalteam.com or
1-888-4-MEDLAW, so we can assist you in determining if you are entitled
to receive compensation for the harm caused to you. Our physicians /
attorneys will review your situation and inform you promptly as to
whether you have a case.
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Palsy Information
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