Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in Oregon Explains The Types of Cerebral Palsy
There are many different types of birth injuries which could result in serious personal injuries to a newborn. While some of these types could be temporary injuries which are momentarily traumatic, some birth injuries could be catastrophic and permanent. One common devastating disability is cerebral palsy, or CP. This is a movement disorder or group of disorder which is caused by damage to the rapidly developing brain. This means that a newborn suffers catastrophic damage during the birthing process, or immediately before or after it. It also could mean that an infant suffered serious brain injuries within the first month or two of life. There are many types of cerebral palsy. In order to understand cerebral palsy for parents and families, our cerebral palsy lawyer in Oregon explains the important points that families must know about it.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
The CDC defines cerebral palsy or CP as a “group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.” The CDC notes this is the mot common motor disability in children, and it can be caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. In essence, cerebral palsy affects how a person and control his or her muscles to effect movement.
The symptoms of CP are different in each individual. This is because of the different types of cerebral palsy which affect the brain differently. The different types of cerebral palsy are also due to the different areas of the brain which were damaged.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
There are four main different types of cerebral palsy which a victim may suffer from. The type of cerebral palsy depends on the location of the damage to the brain. Our cerebral palsy lawyer in Oregon explains these types of CP that a newborn may suffer from:
- Spastic cerebral palsy – this is the most common type of cerebral palsy. It results in hypertonia which is a rigid, stiff, and hyper-growth of muscle. This reduces the range of motion of the joint and can make basic tasks like walking, sitting, running, and even laying down flat difficult, painful, or impossible. There are different types of spastic CP, which include the following types:
- Spastic diplegia – only affects the legs making walking or running very difficult
- Spastic hemiplegia – can affect one side of the body such as the right leg and right arm, or the left leg and left arm
- Spastic quadriplegia – the most severe type which affects all four limbs and the torso. This usually results in an individual being wheelchair bound.
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy – also known as athetoid CP, this type affects how a person can move their arms, legs, hands, and feet. This is because of fluctuating muscle tone which could be hypertonia (increased muscle tone) or hypotonia (decreased muscle tone). This can often make treatment difficult and intervention strategies must constantly adapt. Individuals also may have uncontrollable movement which are writhing, rapid, or jerky.
- Ataxic cerebral palsy – this type of CP is very rare but it can be devastating. Usually this is characterized by tremors or shaking. Movement can be jerky and rigid, not fluid. Individuals typically are better are performing macro movements like walking or sitting down, but individuals usually have great difficulty with fine motor movements such as buttoning a shirt or writing with a pen.
- Mixed Cerebral palsy – the fourth type is a combination of all types. This could be manifest at the same time, or there could be phases. This is the hardest to treat because of the wide amount of disability and the constantly changing obligations.
Call our Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in Oregon for 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.
