Cerebral Palsy Law Blog : Cerebral Palsy Lawyer & Attorney : Burke & Eisner Law Firm : Medical Malpractice Lawyers & Attorneys

You may already know that cerebral palsy affects thousands of newborns across America due to medical malpractice or natural causes. But you may be wondering how you would know if your child may seem healthy but is actually developing cerebral palsy in the first couple years of life. When an infant or child endures brain damage they are several symptoms that can can signal to you and your doctors that something may be wrong with your child's health. In the first few months after being born, an infant with brain damage may show some or all of the following symptoms which may indicate the development of cerebral palsy and other disabilities:

• Lack of alertness
• Constant rirritability or fussiness
• Abnormal, high-pitched cry
• Shaking of the arms and legs
• Poor feeding abilities, problems sucking and swallowing
• Low muscle tone

Once you child reaches six months of age, it should becomes apparent as to whether he or she is picking up basic movement skills or learning slower than normal. Infants with cerebral palsy develop physically and mentally slower. Simple activities like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking and talking may prove difficult for your child if they are developing, or already have cerebral palsy. 
 
Why Would There be a Delay in Diagnosis?
 
In certain cases, doctors may delay in diagnosing a child with cerebral palsy. This is due in part to the fact that the disability lies in the plasticity of a child's central nervous system and it's difficult to determine how able a child is ability to recover from any trauma he or she may have encountered during delivery. It is also hard to tell the amount of brain damage that has occured in the first few months of life. It has been proven that the brains of very young children can repair themselves easier and faster than those of adults.
 
This is why it is so important that whether your delivery has no complications and your child seems healthy, you see your doctor regularly to have you child's health checked. Cerebral palsy can only be diagnosed with a complete exam of your child's current health status. During an exam your child's motor skills will be analyzed and the doctor will look for abnormal movements, lower than average muscle tone, and other developmental delays.

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Posted by Cerebral Palsy Lawyer, David Austin

Preterm birth has long been known to be a risk factor for cerebral palsy, but new research suggests that babies born late preterm (34-36 weeks gestation) face a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with cerebral palsy than babies born at or after 37 weeks.

According to lead study author, Joan Petrini, babies born during the late preterm stage are three times more likely to develop cerebral palsy and 25 percent more likely to be diagnosed with mental retardation and/or developmental delays.

Unfortunately, the number of babies born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation is growing, in part because of an increase in the number of labor inductions and caesarean sections (which are not always medically necessary). Petrini estimates that about 370,000 babies are born late preterm each year in the U.S.

Doctors should inform women of the risks associated with preterm birth before inducing labor or scheduling an early C-section. Women who were not informed of the risks and who gave birth to a child with cerebral palsy should consider talking to an attorney.

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Posted by Cerebral Palsy Lawyer, David Austin

Birth by cesarean section (C-section) is increasingly common in our society, but the procedure is not always performed for the right reasons. Some experts believe the trend has gone too far, with doctors and women scheduling C-sections sometimes weeks before the recommended gestation period.

Alarming Statistics

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that delivery occur at 39 weeks or after. However, some doctors are scheduling C-sections for as early as 37 weeks for reasons that include scheduling convenience and fear of lawsuits.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of babies delivered prior to 37 weeks gestation increased over 20 percent in a 16-year period. Preterm births are sometimes due to maternal smoking, lack of adequate healthcare and multiple births. But the March of Dimes reports that 90 percent of non-multiple preterm births are due to an increase in C-sections.

"I think unfortunately what we are seeing is ... people becoming more and more cavalier of the outcomes," said Dr. Aaron Caughey, an associate professor at University of California San Francisco.

Preterm Birth: Risk Factor for CP

Nearly one third of fetal brain development occurs in the final five weeks of gestation, and babies born preterm are more likely to suffer developmental delays, cerebral palsy, breathing or feeding problems, and even death.

 

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Posted by Cerebral Palsy Lawyer, David Austin

The San Antonio Military Medical Complex (SAMMC) is the only Department of Defense facility to provide comprehensive cerebral palsy treatment to children and adults with the condition. In fact, the facility’s spasticity clinic has been named a center of excellence for the treatment of cerebral palsy.

Medical specialists at the facility’s Adult and Pediatric Spasticity Clinic take a multidisciplinary approach to treatment to help reduce cerebral palsy symptoms. According to Major and pediatric neurologist Dr. Brian Faux, each patient is treated by a team of specialists that includes “pediatricians, orthopedic surgeons, physical, occupational and speech therapists, social workers, neurologists, neurosurgeons, educators and nutritionists.”

One particular treatment available at the clinic is medical pump implantation; the pump delivers a continuous dose of medication to ease some of the symptoms associated with cerebral palsy. Since 2003, the clinic has implanted 15 medical pumps into children.

"I would like to see children with cerebral palsy being implanted at a much younger age, before they start losing muscle and are wheelchair bound. It's important that we get the word out that we offer this treatment," Dr. Faux said.

SAMMC was formerly known as Wilford Hall Medical Center and the website can be accessed here.

 

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