The term "cerebral palsy” refers to several different kinds of permanent brain injuries that occur before, during, or shortly after birth.
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People who have cerebral palsy cannot control their movement and posture. It results from damage to the "motor" areas of the brain, which are responsible for controlling movement. In some cases, cerebral palsy is accompanied by seizures, intellectual impairment, behavior problems, hearing issues, or vision problems.
The brain damage that causes cerebral palsy is permanent from the time of injury. There is no cure for cerebral palsy. Accordingly, most medical authorities describe cerebral palsy as a "condition" rather than a "disease." Although the brain damage causing cerebral palsy cannot be cured, the functional problems associated with cerebral palsy can often be improved through therapy, medication, or, in some cases, surgery.
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How common is cerebral palsy?
Approximately 500,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. More than 5,000 children, the majority of whom are babies or infants, are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year. The incidence of cerebral palsy has remained relatively constant over the past 30 years.
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Are there different types of cerebral palsy?
Doctors generally classify cerebral palsy into four categories, depending upon the type of motor difficulties experienced by the patient. They are as follows:
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type, affecting more than half of all patients. It is characterized by muscles that are stiff and permanently contracted. With this type of cerebral palsy, the muscle tone in the affected limbs is increased.
In addition, spastic cerebral palsy is often classified according to what limbs are affected, and how severely. A prefix representing limb involvement is added to the term "plegia" which means paralysis, or "paresis" which means weak. The terms used are as follows:
- Diplegia refers to both arms or both legs
- Hemiplegia refers to the right arm and leg, or the left arm and leg
- Quadriplegia refers to both arms and both legs
- Monoplegia refers to one limb
- Triplegia refers to three limbs
It should be noted that monoplegia and triplegia are extremely rare.
Ataxic cerebral palsy involves problems with balance and depth perception. These patients will walk with an unsteady gait, have poor coordination, and have problems with fine motor control (the movements needed to perform such tasks as tying a shoe).
Athetoid cerebral palsy is characterized by involuntary, uncontrolled movement of the limbs. Severe cases may also afflict the muscles of the face, mouth or tongue, resulting in grimacing, speaking difficulty, or drooling.
Mixed cerebral palsy describes two or more types occurring in the same person. At least 10 percent of patients with cerebral palsy suffer from a mixture of two or more types.
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What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?
The symptoms of Cerebral Palsy differ depending upon the areas of the brain which were injured and the extent of the damage. Persons with minimal injury may display nothing more than slight awkwardness with movement and require no special assistance. Some who are afflicted with severe cerebral palsy may be completely disabled and require lifelong medical, surgical, nursing, and therapeutic care.
Some of the most commonly encountered symptoms of cerebral palsy include the following:
- Inability or difficulty using the arms and/or hands
- Difficulty speaking
- Swallowing problems
- Inability to control bladder and/or bowels
- Breathing difficulties
- Seizures
- Learning disabilities
- Behavioral and/or attention deficit disorders
- Vision problems
- Hearing deficits
- Impaired sense of touch and/or pain
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What causes cerebral palsy?
There are several possible causes of cerebral palsy. Trauma to the baby's head due to improper use of forceps or a vacuum extractor at the time of delivery can cause bleeding in the brain, resulting in cerebral palsy. Other possible causes of bleeding in the brain include stroke due to broken, abnormal, or clogged blood vessels, or by respiratory distress due to prematurity.
Lack of oxygen to the brain can ultimately cause brain cells to die, resulting in permanent brain damage. The lack of oxygen can be caused by various types of problems with the placenta, umbilical cord compression, maternal problems such as a stroke due to toxemia (also called eclampsia), or a ruptured uterus.
Cerebral palsy can also be caused by infections acquired by the baby during passage through the birth canal, such as herpes, CMV (cytomegalovirus), or Group B Strep.
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Is cerebral palsy preventable?
The most clearly preventable cases of cerebral palsy are those which resulted from medical mistakes. Problems during pre-natal care, labor and delivery, or the newborn period that can cause brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy, include the following:
- Miscalculation of due dates by the prenatal care provider
- Failure to perform, or improper interpretation, of ultrasounds during the prenatal period
- Failure to perform, or improper performance of non-stress test
- Failure to properly evaluate third trimester bleeding
- Failure to recognize and/or treat maternal infections such as herpes, CMV, or Group B Strep
- Failure to recommend or perform cesarean section
- Failure to correctly interpret fetal monitor strips
- Failure to diagnose, or respond properly to fetal distress, or hypoxia
- Failure to assign properly qualified personnel to perform a delivery which is anticipated to be difficult
- Failure to properly estimate fetal weight prior to labor and delivery
- Failure to properly use and/or monitor the use of Pitocin (a drug given to help the uterus contract more strongly)
- Failure to recognize and/or respond promptly to a detached placenta
- Failure to recognize and/or respond promptly to a prolapsed umbilical cord
- Improper use of forceps
- Improper use of vacuum
- Failure to adequately resuscitate a newborn baby who is in distress at birth
Not all cases of cerebral palsy have an identifiable cause. As to those cases, there is ongoing medical research attempting to identify all of the potential causes of cerebral palsy, and to develop strategies to minimize risk factors.
Common preventive measures currently followed include:
- Rh testing and immunization where appropriate
- Prompt recognition and treatment of bacterial infection of the maternal reproductive and urinary tracts
- Avoiding unnecessary exposure to x-rays and certain medications during pregnancy
- Education regarding harmful effects of drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol use during pregnancy
- Improved treatment of diabetes, nutritional deficiencies and anemia
- Treatment of newborn jaundice with photo therapy in the hospital nursery
- Enhanced access to early prenatal care
- Established protocols for assembling pediatric resuscitation teams in the delivery room whenever a distressed baby is anticipated
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Contact an Experienced Attorney
The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff understand that birth injury and birth trauma cases can be complex and demanding. Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in damages for injured children and their families who have been the victims of careless doctors and medical staffs.
Our years of experience and our well-trained paralegals and administrative staff give us the advantage, even under the most difficult circumstances. We care about our clients and treat the injured children and their families with genuine concern, because we understand the devastating effects birth injuries can have on them.
If you believe your child is suffering from cerebral palsy as a result of a medical mistake, please fill out and submit the contact form on this page for a free and confidential case evaluation, or call us toll-free at (888) 285-3333.