Cerebral palsy information

Cerebral palsy is a medical condition caused by damage to the brain. Often, this condition occurs immediately before, during or shortly after birth. Cerebral palsy results in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination.

Types of cerebral palsy:

• Spastic cerebral palsy
• Athetoid cerebral palsy
• Ataxic cerebral palsy
• Mixed cerebral palsy.
  

Cerebral palsy is incurable, but with the right therapy, education and a lot of medical assistance, some patients were able to lead productive lives.

In severe cases, however, where there is total loss of coordination or even paralysis, patients may be totally dependent on external assistance from family and medical communities throughout their entire lives.

One of the causes of Cerebral Palsy is lack of oxygen during birth.

Oxygen deprivation that leads to cerebral palsy can be due to a number of reasons:

• Premature separation of the placenta,
• baby is too large for the birth canal or pelvis,
• too long or too abrupt of labor,
• awkward and/or breech deliveries,
• cord entanglement,
• excessive pitocin,
• shoulder dystocia,
• failure to order timely cesarean (c-section),
• placenta abruptus,
• excessive force or use of vacuum or forceps, and
• ruptured uterus.

Symptoms of oxygen deprivation may include but are not limited to the following:

• low apgar scores,
• acidosis (low ph),
• blue skin tone,
• seizures,
• cerebral edema,
• difficulty breathing on its own, and
  
• severely bruised at birth (this may serve as evidence of forced delivery or excessive trauma).

If during the birthing process your child was injured and the medical diagnosis includes any of the following, then there may be evidence of a birthing injury to your child that has resulted in cerebral palsy.

Here's a list of some important cerebral palsy symptoms:

• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,
• birth asphyxia ,
• static encephalopathy ,
• neonatal depression ,
• traumatic birth, and
  
• developmental delays.
  

Note: A diagnosis of cerebral palsy cannot be confirmed until a thorough review of all relevant medical records and fetal heart monitor strips by a Cerebral Palsy doctor or other Cerebral Palsy expert has been made.

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and you believe that it may have been caused by a medical mistake or medical negligence (doctor malpractice), then read more about cerebral palsy law, where to find cerebral palsy attorneys and how to file a malpractice or medical lawsuit.