Understanding Diplegic Cerebral Palsy From Our Bend/Portland Birth Injury Lawyers
Diplegic cerebral palsy is a type of spastic cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy, or CP, is a catastrophic birth injury. CP is a condition or group of conditions that result from damage to the developing brain. This damage is typically in an area of the brain which affect motor movement and function. The location of the damage and the extent of the damage dictate the severity of CP. There are many different types of CP, including several general classifications. Spastic cerebral palsy is a general type of CP. Each general classification has many subsets, such as diplegia CP. Our Bend/Portland birth injury lawyers know how devastating all of these types of cerebral palsy classifications and subsets can be. This is particularly true if the cerebral palsy is the result of Oregon medical malpractice causing careless, reckless, or downright negligent birth injuries.
What is Spastic Cerebral Palsy?
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of cerebral palsy. Generally, individuals with spastic CP are prone to increased muscle tone and rigidity, known as hypertonia. This rigid and stiff musculature makes movement more difficult for individuals. Generally, the faster that an individual tries to move, the more rigid and difficult it is to move the muscles. This is due to damage in the brain to neurological pathways, or nerve tracts.
What is Diplegic Cerebral Palsy?
Diplegia is a type of spastic cerebral palsy. While spastic cerebral palsy could affect anywhere on the body, diplegic CP generally affects the lower extremities. In diplegic CP, a person’s legs are extremely stiff due to increased muscle tone. This results in stiffer joints which affect a person’s range on motion. This means walking, running, climbing stairs, sitting down, laying down, or other motions predominately done by the legs will be significantly more difficult. The severity of diplegic CP depends on the severity of the brain damage sustained while developing.
Causes of Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
While diplegic cerebral palsy could be caused by genetics or unavoidable consequences of birth, this is sadly not always the case. Many times cerebral palsy is caused by preventable medical errors. These medical errors could be the result in careless or reckless conduct. This includes improperly or inadequately monitoring a mother and the newborn during the labor and delivery process. When healthcare providers fail to properly monitor a mother and baby, certain birth injuries could occur.
Birth asphyxia is one of the most common ways that Oregon medical malpractice could cause a birth injury resulting in CP. Birth asphyxia could result in a hypoxic injury, which is an injury due to a decrease in oxygen. Birth asphyxia could also cause an anoxic injury, which is due to a complete lack of oxygen. In either situation, the developing brain demands a full supply of oxygen which healthcare providers must ensure a fetus and newborn is receiving. The failure of a healthcare provider to protect a baby’s oxygen could result in cerebral palsy or other catastrophic birth injuries.
Ask our Bend/Portland Birth Injury Lawyers if Your Baby Was Diagnosed with Diplegic Cerebral Palsy or Any Other Type of Cerebral Palsy
A diagnosis of cerebral palsy will result in a lifetime of complications for an individual. While some complications can be managed, they never should have to be managed if improper medical care and treatment did not cause them in the first place. Nor does managing complications of cerebral palsy remedy the fact that the individual and his or her family will have a lifetime of financial consequences.
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.
