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Cerebral Palsy - Medical Malpractice Lawyers

LEGAL HELPLINE: ☎ 855 804 7125

Our cerebral palsy medical malpractice lawyers can help you get compensation if your childs injuries were caused as a result of negligence. Cerebral Palsy which is also called static encephalopathy or Little's Disease refers to a group of disorders that affect control of movement and posture the causes of which result from damage to the brain. Symptoms range from mild to severe and the condition does not get worse as the child gets older although the symptoms may change over time. The condition was first described in the 19th century by William Little who wrote about a disorder that caused stiff muscles in legs and arms which subsequently became known as spastic diplegia. Early signs usually appear before the child is 3 years old and often become obvious when the child is slow to reach certain developmental milestones. This condition may be as a result of a 'birth defect' or as a result of medical negligence occurring during or shortly after birth. Diagnosis is made by testing motor skills, intelligence and reflexes after consideration of the medical records. Treatment usually starts in the early years of a child's life as soon as a cerebral palsy diagnosis is confirmed. About 2 to 3 children in 1,000 over the age of three suffer from CP. There are a number of cerebral palsy associations throughout Canada that can give help, advice and support to the carers of those suffering from this condition. Less than 10% of these cases are caused by medical malpractice however our cerebral palsy lawyers, in combination with a team of medical experts are able to assess your potential claim and advise you of the likelihood of success and the estimated damages payable.

Cerebral Palsy Causes

Numerous events that occur during pregnancy, labor or shortly after birth can disrupt the normal development of the brain.
Some of the known causes are:

Symptoms

This condition is classified into four main categories each displaying different symptoms as follows :-

Treatment

There is no cerebral palsy treatment that can undo the damage caused by irreversible brain damage however the quality of life can be improved for sufferers of this condition. This condition is a group of disorders resulting from damage to the brain that affects control of movement and posture. Early signs usually appear before a child is 3 years old and doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by testing motor skills, intelligence and reflexes after consideration of the medical records in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed topography (CT scan), or ultrasound. The major types of cerebral palsy are.

Cerebral Palsy Lawyers

Our cerebral palsy medical malpractice lawyers can help you to exercise your legal rights to obtain the compensation which your child needs and deserves. Our cerebral palsy lawyers will deal with your claim using a contingency fee arrangement which means if your child doesn't succeed in receiving compensation then your lawyers won't get paid. This condition often has devastating consequences not only for the child victim but also for the family who take on the considerable burden of lifetime care. Whilst money cannot heal the damage that has been done it can help in making life easier for all concerned. For advice at no cost and without further obligation just complete the contact form or email our offices and a qualified cerebral palsy lawyer will telephone you immediately to discuss your compensation claim without further obligation.

Medical Overview

Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that begins in the first few months of life. It involves problems in the function of the brain including the ability to hear, see, learn, move and think. Movement problems are the mainstay of cerebral palsy and are almost always involved in the disease. There are several different kinds of cerebral palsy, including ataxic cerebral palsy, spastic cerebral palsy, hypotonic cerebral palsy, mixed cerebral palsy and dyskinetic cerebral palsy. The symptoms vary according to the type of cerebral palsy that is present in the affected individual.

There can be mild or severe symptoms of cerebral palsy. It can involve only one limb or body function or it can include both sides of the body and all four limbs. Just the legs can be involved or just the arms can be involved.

The symptoms occur between the ages of three months to two years of age. It can show up as a delay in motor function, spasticity of the extremities or problems with other areas of development. The most common type of cerebral palsy is spastic cerebral palsy. The major symptoms seen in spastic cerebral palsy include tight muscles that do not move much with effort or with pushing on them, walking on their toes, having an abnormal gait that includes having the arms tucked in near the sides of the body or the knees and having the knees touching or crossed, called a scissors gait, stiff and contracted joints that do not straighten out well, muscle paralysis or weakness or symptoms that affect one side of the body or perhaps just the arms or just the legs.

Other types of cerebral palsy have different symptoms. They can include abnormal movements, tremors, loose or floppy muscles, unsteady gait and loss of coordination. Symptoms unrelated to movement include learning disabilities, low intelligence, problems with speech, hearing problems, visual disturbances, joint or muscle pain, and seizures. The individual can be mildly disabled or severely disabled from the disease.

Digestive problems can occur due to difficulty swallowing, sucking or feeding in small infants. There can be difficulties with vomiting, constipation, drooling, delayed growth, irregular breathing, and incontinence of bowel or bladder. These can be seen primarily in infants and in children who have the disease.

Cerebral palsy is caused by a low level of oxygen in the brain that occurs sometime in utero or at birth. It occurs at a slightly higher risk in premature infants, who often suffer from hypoxia. You can also get cerebral palsy when bleeding occurs within the brain, from a head injury, and from infections occurring in the mother during pregnancy. Infantile infections such as meningitis or encephalitis can contribute to cerebral palsy and there can be cerebral palsy from severe jaundice in infancy. Damage to the brain any time before the age of two years can contribute to getting cerebral palsy.

The treatment of cerebral palsy includes many different healthcare providers including a primary care doctor, a neurologist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a physical therapist and other specialty doctors. These healthcare specialists help to make sure that the symptoms are as little as possible and that things like contractures are as minimal as they can be. Children can be taught how to function with splints and braces and how to use walkers or wheelchairs. Medications can be given that reduce the spasticity and calm the muscles. There is usually an intensive educational plan that strives to get the student into regular classrooms as soon as possible, despite their illness. Nutritional deficits are managed, including swallowing difficulties. This might include the use of a tube that directly feeds the child from an opening in the skin, called a stoma.

The patient may need to take anticonvulsant therapy for seizures, the use of Botulinum toxin to release muscles from their spasticity. Tremors are reduced as well with botulinum toxin. Surgery can control reflux disease, can put in feeding tubes and can release contractures of the various joints involved in spasticity and contractures.

LEGAL HELPLINE: ☎ 855 804 7125

mail @ lawmedmal.ca


The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here