Cerebral Palsy Lawyer

If you suspect your child contracted cerebral palsy at birth due to neglect you may be entitled to financial compensation to help pay for his or her care.  Call us today to get the facts.  Call Toll Free 1-866-777-2557 or fill out our online contact form and a lawyer will respond within 24 hours to answer your questions.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that occurs when a child's brain is still developing, whether that is before, during, or after being born. Cerebral palsy affects a child's muscle control, coordination, and tone, as well as their balance and reflexes.

Perhaps the most positive thing about cerebral palsy is that, unlike other neurological disorders, it does not progressively get worse as the child gets older. Unfortunately, however, the condition also does not get better. The child can experience symptoms ranging from mild to severe, but with the proper treatment, his or her overall quality of life can be improved over time.

Children are not typically diagnosed with cerebral palsy until they are between two and three years old. Some of the known causes of cerebral palsy include certain infections living within the mother during her pregnancy, such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, and cytomegalovirus, which is an otherwise mild type of infection. 

Additionally, a lack of oxygen to the fetus can cause cerebral palsy, though not as often as was once believed, as can brain injuries that can develop within babies during their first few months or years of life. Premature babies have a significantly increased risk of developing cerebral palsy, being up to 30 times more likely than their full-term counterparts to be afflicted with the condition if they weighed less than 3 1/3 pounds at birth. In many cases, however, the cause of the condition remains unknown.

Adults cannot develop cerebral palsy, as the condition presents itself before a child reaches the age of five. Symptoms that parents of children under five will want to keep an eye out for in order to spot the early warning signs of cerebral palsy include:

• Poor muscle control, tone, and reflexes

• Frequent seizures

• The inability to control bodily functions relating to eating and using the bathroom

• The inability to control bodily movements and balance

• Vision/hearing/speech/learning impairments

Infants afflicted with cerebral palsy may not reach such milestones as crawling, rolling over, or walking on time. Symptoms may start to appear during early infancy and then become more obvious as the child gets older. Some children with more severe cases of cerebral palsy may be confined to a wheelchair or a bed and may therefore require round-the-clock care. 

Some of the birth injuries that can lead to cerebral palsy include:

• Umbilical cord complications

• Delayed cesarean section

• The improper use of birth-assisting tools

• The improper administration of medication

• Failure to spot fetal distress