 |
 |
|
|
|
Cerebral Palsy
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in
the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time. The disorders are caused by faulty development of
or damage to motor areas in the brain that disrupts the brain's ability to control movement and posture. This damage
can occur when there is trauma to the infant's head during the birth process.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy include difficulty with fine motor tasks (such as writing or using scissors), difficulty
maintaining balance or walking, involuntary movements. The symptoms differ from person to person and may change
over time. Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical disorders, including seizures or mental
impairment, but cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap. Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear
before 3 years of age. Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones such as
learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk. Cerebral palsy may be congenital or acquired after birth. Several of the
causes of cerebral palsy that have been identified through research are preventable or treatable: head injury during
labor or delivery, jaundice, Rh incompatibility, and rubella (German measles). Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by
testing motor skills and reflexes, looking into medical history, and employing a variety of specialized tests. Although
its symptoms may change over time, cerebral palsy by definition is not progressive, so if a patient shows increased
impairment, the problem may be something other than cerebral palsy.
Is there any treatment?
There is no standard therapy that works for all patients. Drugs can be used to control seizures and muscle spasms,
special braces can compensate for muscle imbalance. Surgery, mechanical aids to help overcome impairments,
counseling for emotional and psychological needs, and physical, occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy may
be employed.
What is the prognosis?
At this time, cerebral palsy cannot be cured, but due to medical research, many patients can enjoy near-normal
lives if their neurological problems are properly managed.
What research is being done?
Research suggests that cerebral palsy results from incorrect cell development early in pregnancy. For example, a
group of researchers has recently observed that more than one-third of children with cerebral palsy also have missing
enamel on certain teeth. Scientists are also examining other eventsÑsuch as bleeding in the brain, seizures, and
breathing and circulation problemsÑthat threaten the brain of a newborn baby. Some investigators are conducting
studies to learn whether certain drugs can help prevent neonatal stroke, and other investigators are examining the
causes of low birth-weight. Other scientists are exploring how brain insults (like brain damage from a shortage of oxygen
or blood flow, bleeding in the brain, and seizures) can cause the abnormal release of brain chemicals and trigger brain disease.
Select this link to
view a list of all studies currently seeking patients.
Newborns at Risk for Cerebral Palsy - Many children with cerebral palsy have a congenital malformation of the brain, meaning
that the malformation existed at birth and was not caused by factors occurring during the birthing process. Prematurity and
a low birth weight have been shown to be related to an increased incidence of specific disorders. Premature infants are at a
much higher risk for developing cerebral palsy than full-term babies, and the risk increases as the birth weight decreases.
Between 5 and 8 percent of infants weighing less than 1500 grams (3 pounds) at birth develop cerebral palsy, and infants
weighing less than 1500 grams are 25 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than infants who are born at full term weighing
more than 2500 grams.
Many premature infants suffer bleeding within the brain, called intraventricular hemorrhages, intracranial hemorrhages.
Again, the highest frequency of hemorrhages is found in the babies with the lowest weight: the problem is rare in babies
who weigh more than 2000 grams (4 pounds). This bleeding may damage the part of the brain that controls
CEREBRAL PALSY FROM THE BIRTHING PROCESS
The birthing process can be traumatic for the newborn, and injuries occurring during birth can cause cerebral palsy.
Newborns who suffer severe asphyxia or blunt trauma during birth have a far greater risk (about 250 times) of
developing cerebral palsy.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CEREBRAL PALSY
Cerebral palsy may be classified by the type of movement problem (such as spastic or athetoid cerebral palsy) or by
the body parts involved (hemiplegia, diplegia, and quadriplegia). Spasticity refers to the inability of a muscle to relax,
while athetosis refers to an inability to control the movement of a muscle. Infants who at first are hypotonic wherein
their limbs are very floppy may later develop spasticity. Hemiplegia is cerebral palsy that involves one arm and one
leg on the same side of the body, whereas with diplegia the primary involvement is both legs. Quadriplegia refers to
a pattern involving all four extremities as well as trunk and neck muscles. Another frequently used classification is
ataxia, which refers to balance and coordination problems. Most professionals who care for children with cerebral palsy
understand these diagnoses and use them to communicate about a child's condition.
PROGNOSIS FOR THE CHILD WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
The first questions usually asked by parents after they are told their child has cerebral palsy are "What will my child
be like?" and "Will he walk?" Predicting what a young child with cerebral palsy will be like or what he will or will not do
(called the prognosis) is very difficult. Any predictions for an infant under six months of age are little better than
guesses, and even for children younger than one year it is often very difficult to predict the pattern of involvement.
By the time the child is two years old, however, the physician can determine whether the child has hemiplegia, diplegia,
or quadriplegia. Based on this involvement pattern, some predictions can be made. It is worth saying again that
children with cerebral palsy do not stop doing activities once they have begun to do them. Such a loss of skills, called
regression, is not characteristic of cerebral palsy. If regression occurs, it is necessary to look for a different cause of
the child's problems. In order for a child to be able to walk, some major events in motor control have to occur. A child
must be able to hold up his head before he can sit up on his own, and he must be able to sit independently before
he can walk on his own. It is generally assumed that if a child is not sitting up by himself by age 4 or walking by age
8, he will never be an independent walker. But a child who starts to walk at age 3 will certainly continue to walk and
will be walking when he is 13 years old unless he has a disorder other than CP.
It is even more difficult to make early predictions of speaking ability or mental ability than it is to predict motor function.
Here, too, evaluation is much more reliable after age 2, although a motor disability can make the evaluation of intellectual
function quite difficult. Sometimes "motor-free" tests which can assess intellectual ability without, the person being
tested, needing to use his hands are administered by psychologists who have expertise in their use. Overall, the
intellectual ability of the person, far more than their physical disability, will determine the person's prognosis. In other
words, mental retardation is far more likely than cerebral palsy to impair a child's ability to function.
See a list of
easy-to-understand press releases from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke summarizing recent studies in cerebral palsy.
Legal Consultation
If a family member has suffered a serious, permanent injury related to childbirth, you may want to talk to a lawyer.
We provide free consultations to help determine if you have a valid medical negligence case that should be pursued.
If you have already consulted with another lawyer or are in the process of doing so, we can offer information about
how to evaluate whether you have obtained the right lawyer for your case.
Click here to obtain our free report: "Eleven questions to ask before hiring a lawyer for your injury lawsuit."
We will need to obtain complete medical records to do a good analysis. Contact us with this form to provide
basic information to get the process started:
|
|
|
|
Medical
Malpractice in the Treatment of Diabetes:
Click
here for Stein Mitchell's informative website that helps diabetic
patients and
their families understand the standards of medical care they have a right to expect from their physicians.
Contact us for a free case
evaluation.
Military Medical Malpractice:
Click
here for
Stein Mitchell's website for patients and families injured by medical
negligence at
military and government health care facilities.
Brain Injury and Your Legal Rights:
Click
here
for Stein Mitchell's website that helps patients with brain injuries and
their families research their injuries, learn about care options, and
understand the legal options that may be available to them.
Vioxx Alert:
Vioxx has been shown to increase patients'
risk of heart attack and stroke. Click
here to find out more about this dangerous drug.
If you or a loved one has been injured by Vioxx,
contact us for a free case evaluation.
copyright,
Stein, Mitchell & Mezines LLP :: 1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
phone: 202.737.7777 fax: 202.296.8312
|
|
|
