Depending on a child’s age, there are different signs that may suggest the presence of cerebral palsy. A newborn infant with difficulty in suckling, evacuating the bowels, or breathing should be carefully evaluated, as these are all warning signs of cerebral palsy. Infants may also have abnormal reflexes. As an infant grows, consistent use of one part of the body over the other, or consistently favoring certain postures over others, may also be signs of cerebral palsy. An infant with cerebral palsy may be unusually floppy or stiff, or retain certain reflexes that are normally present at birth but typically disappear as a baby grows. Lack of facial expressions, not following movements with the eyes, not following sounds with head movements, and lack of a response to human voices also suggests something may be wrong. Infants and children with cerebral palsy may be unable to roll over, crawl, sit up, smile or walk or only be able to do so with help. Grasping or playing with toys may be impossible.

Other signs of cerebral palsy depend on the type of cerebral palsy a patient has. Spastic diplegics have legs that may cross at the knees and a typical ’scissors’ gait. Patients with spastic hemiparesis have uncontrollable tremors in one half of the body. If athetoid cerebral palsy is present, slow writhing movements of the extremities, face or tongue may be present along with grimacing and drooling. Ataxic cerebral palsy patients have an unsteady, wide-based gait, difficulty performing fine motor tasks like buttoning a shirt, and intention tremors that occur while performing voluntary movements.

Because cerebral palsy can be difficult to diagnose, any sign of developmental delays, abnormal movements or abnormal posture in an infant or small child should immediately be brought to the attention of a physician.

Author: Kristy Annely

1. What is cerebral palsy?

It is a phrase that describes a group of disorders that affect the ability of a person to control their muscles. CP, as it often referred to, is a disorder of the brain that can cause a number of problems which may include:

* Problems in controlling muscles
* Problems with walking
* Problems using one’s arms or legs
* Seizures

2. What are some of the medical mistakes that cause this problem?

Although there is no one single cause , it may be caused by mistakes made by doctors or hospitals. This situation can be caused in a number of different ways which could include:

* Excessive force used in the delivery of the baby including the use of forceps
* A delay in the performance of a necessary C-section
* Failing to recognize on a timely basis that the baby is in distress
* Depriving the baby of oxygen during the delivery
* Failure to order specific tests during pregnancy and/or not properly interpreting tests
* Lack of oxygen to the brain or trauma to the head during labor and delivery

3. If my child is suffering from CP what should I do?

It is extremely important to have an experienced medical malpractice injury attorney who has expertise in the handling and presentation of birth injury cases.

An attorney should be contacted immediately if one suspects that this condition was caused by medical negligence.

4. How do I go about getting experts to help me with my case?

Your attorney will be able to suggest a team of experts that can range from private investigators to doctors to economists to help develop your case.

5. Who will pay the expenses of hiring all of these experts?

In most cases, the law firm or attorneys will advance all costs and expenses of the case as they are incurred. Once the case is concluded, they would be reimbursed for their costs out of the recovery. In some states, even if there is no recovery, the client is still responsible for the costs and expenses of the case even though the client owes no legal fees. In other states, if there is no recovery, the client will owe nothing for the costs and expenses, which will be absorbed by the law firm or attorney.

Author: Richard Hastings

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