According to the CDC, about one in every 300 babies is born with cerebral palsy in the US. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families require assistance because it is the most common form of childhood motor disability. An experienced Pittsburgh birth injury lawyer can help you file any legal action you may need.
What is Cerebral Palsy (CP)?
Cerebral palsy is a medical condition that affects movement in the brain. People with cerebral palsy (CP) have difficulty moving, balancing, and maintaining good posture. The most frequent kind of childhood motor impairment is cerebral Palsy (CP). As the term implies, the cerebral has to do with the mind. Palsy is a medical term that refers to muscle weakness or dysfunction. When a person has CP, the impaired muscle loses control due to aberrant brain development or damage during development.
People with CP have a wide range of symptoms. A person with severe CP may be unable to walk without the assistance of specialized equipment or may never be able to walk without the assistance of caregivers for the rest of their lives. In contrast, someone with moderate CP may walk a little awkwardly, but they may not require any extra assistance. The symptoms of CP do not worsen over time, but they can change throughout a person’s life.
Movement and posture are problematic for everyone with CP. As well as intellectual incapacity and seizures, many also suffer from changes in the spine (such as scoliosis) and joint difficulties (such as contractures).
Medical misconduct or mistakes by medical practitioners can sometimes cause cerebral palsy (CP). It includes poor reaction to fetal distress, harm to the baby’s brain owing to prolonged oxygen deprivation, incorrect use of delivery instruments, and many more issues.
Symptoms:
Cerebral palsy signs and symptoms vary widely from person to person. Cerebral palsy may affect the entire body or only one or two limbs or one side of the body in certain people. Problems with mobility, coordination, communication, and feeding are more common indications and symptoms of cerebral palsy, including:
- Spasticity
- Muscles that are overly stiff or too floppy
- Muscles that are stiff but have normal responses (rigidity)
- Lack of coordination and balance (ataxia)
- Uncontrollable shaking or tremoring movements
- Sluggish movements
- The tendency to use only one hand or one leg when crawling or to favor one side of the body
- Difficulty walking.
- Lack of coordination,
- Delay in the emergence of speech
- Speech impedimenta
- Inability to swallow, chew or ingest
- Inability to retain information
- Disabilities of the mind
- Suffering from epileptic seizures (epilepsy)
- Hearing impairment
- Vision issues and irregular eye motions
- Unusual feelings of pain or discomfort when being touched
Cerebral Palsy: How to Find Out What Caused It in Your Child?
Diagnosing a child with cerebral palsy might take anything from several months to several years. When children are nine, eighteen, twenty-four, and thirty months old, the CDC recommends checking them for developmental delays. If your child is falling behind in any developmental milestones, make an appointment with your child’s doctor so they can figure out what’s wrong.
The damaged parts of the brain and indications of cerebral palsy will be found using computer tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cerebral palsy causes can be determined with the use of these imaging studies.
Preventions:
Cerebral palsy cannot be completely avoided, but you can take steps to minimize your chances of developing it. Take these actions if you’re expecting or trying to get pregnant to stay healthy and avoid pregnancy-related complications:
- Ensure that you are immunized. To avoid an infection that could result in fetal brain damage, women should get vaccinated against diseases such as rubella as early in their pregnancy as possible.
- Look after your well-being. The less likely you are to get an illness that causes cerebral palsy before getting pregnant, the better off you will be.
- Seek prenatal treatment as early as possible and keep it up as the pregnancy progresses. Pregnancy checkups with your doctor can help protect you and your unborn child’s health. A regular doctor’s visit can help you avoid complications such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, and infections.
- Tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs should be avoided. Cerebral palsy risk has been connected to these.
- Cerebral palsy can, in rare cases, be brought on by brain damage sustained as a kid. Maintain a high standard of personal safety. Ensure your child is protected from head injuries by using a car seat, wearing a helmet when you ride your bike, and having bed rails on the bed.
Cerebral Palsy Caused by Medical Malpractice:
Cerebral palsy can occur in children as a result of medical malpractice or incompetence after childbirth. Cerebral palsy situations like this are the result of sloppy medical treatment given during childbirth. Cerebral palsy can be caused by a variety of medical errors, including the following:
- Failure to identify and treat infections as soon as they occur
- Lack of awareness of fetal heart rate changes
- A medically unnecessary cesarean section is not scheduled or performed (C-section)
- Failure to recognize an umbilical cord that has slipped out of place
- Using vacuum extractors and forceps incorrectly.
Medical professionals who have received extensive training provide a high standard of care to patients in the delivery room. Failure to do so should result in those responsible for their acts being held accountable.
Parents who believe medical malpractice caused their child’s cerebral palsy may be eligible to sue and get compensation. A cerebral palsy attorney can be a valuable asset in helping you determine whether or not you are entitled to financial assistance.
What Are the Benefits of Filing a Lawsuit for Cerebral Palsy?
If your kid has cerebral palsy, you may be entitled to financial compensation to help with the costs of their medical treatment. These assets can be utilized to cover medical bills from the past as well as those in the future.
Managing the symptoms of cerebral palsy usually necessitates expert medical care. Many families with children with cerebral palsy are unable to afford the treatment. Medical malpractice lawsuit money can be used to cover the following expenses:
- Medications
- Assistive devices for people with disabilities
- Occupational therapists treat people with disabilities.
- Rehabilitation after an injury or illness
- The price of special education
- Therapy for communication disorders such as speech
- Surgery
- equipment for moving people and goods
- Costs of additional medical care.
Birth injury attorneys are the finest resource for parents who are unsure whether or not to settle their case. Their knowledge of CP litigation will be extensive, as will their previous experience with similar actions. Your lawyer can help you decide if accepting a settlement is best for your family or going to trial is the best course of action.
Are you unsure whether to settle your case? Are you seeking legal help? Pittsburgh birth injury lawyers can help you decide. Get in touch with a law firm for a free consultation.
