Understanding the Different Types of Cerebral Palsy: Fast Facts from our Birth Injury Lawyer in Oregon
One of the most devastating diagnoses that a family of a newborn could receive is cerebral palsy, or CP. While this is not a death sentence like some other young diagnoses, it can be a particularly disruptive and destructive one. While there are plenty of individuals who are born with CP and live very productive and long lives, some do not. Especially those who are unable to afford the high costs associated with this horrible condition. This is why our birth injury lawyer in Oregon wants to share some important and fast facts on the different types of cerebral palsy for families.
Understanding the Basis of Cerebral Palsy
There Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have a lot of information about cerebral palsy available for the public to review. This includes definitions and types. According to the CDC, cerebral palsy is diagnosed as the following:
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects a person’s ability to control his or her muscles.
There are four types of cerebral palsy. Each affect the body differently. The four types are spastic cerebral palsy, dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy.
Fast Facts on Spastic CP
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of cerebral palsy. It results in an increased muscle tone which is called hypertonia. This means the muscles are so tight and strong that they cause problems moving them. Stiff muscles result in rigid joints which make a person’s movement difficult and awkward. There are three common types of spastic CP, including:
- Spastic diplegia/diparesis – this is spastic CP in the legs causing tightness and difficult walking
- Spastic hemiplegia/hemiparesis – this is when spastic CP only affects one side of the brain
- Spastic quadriplegia/quadriparesis – this is the most severe type of spastic CP which affects nearly the entire body. Individuals with this type usually have other serious developmental disabilities, including seizure disorders.
Fast Facts on Dyskinetic CP
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is also known as athetoid cerebral palsy. It occurs in about 10% of all CP cases. There are many subsets of it which affect different parts of the body and are based on different types of disability. The court types include the following:
- Dystonia – repetitive movements and abnormal twisting, writhing, curling, or similar conditions
- Chorea – involuntary jerky movements and reactions
- Athetosis – slow movements which are often twisting, writhing, and curling
- Choreathetosis – both chorea and athetosis occurring together
The main traits of dyskinetic CP are a fluctuation between hypotonia (lack of muscle) and hypertonia (increased muscle tone). This can make voluntary movements very difficult and treating or managing this type of CP also very difficult due to the different needs. There is also involuntary movement which usually occurs in the face, torso, and limbs. Individuals with this type of CP also have stiff or rigid bodies which shift to loose and flaccid bodies. There are usually significant issues with posture and eating.
Fast Facts on Ataxic CP
This is a very rare type of CP which occurs less than 5% of the time. It pertains to movement and voluntary movement. Usually an individual with ataxic CP can make larger more macro movements without too much difficulty, but will have trouble with more fine or specific dexterity such as buttoning a shirt or typing.
The most common signs of ataxic CP include difficulty speaking, problems with depth perception, shakiness, tremors, walking awkwardly, eating problems, and other types of similar issues.
Fast Facts on Mixed CP
When the damage to the brain is not focused on one part of the body or the other, it can result in different types of CP. These different types of CP can all manifest themselves randomly. This is known as a mixed CP which can exhibit all the types of CP. In fact, the types could also fluctuate or change which make treating it more difficult. These occur in about 10% of all CP cases and can be difficult for a family.
All of these types could be caused by medical malpractice which should be reviewed by our birth injury lawyer in Oregon.
Was Your Child Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy? Learn How We Can Help
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.
