Our Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Bend, Oregon Explains What is Spastic Cerebral Palsy and How it May Be Caused by a Preventable Birth Injury
No one ever anticipates that during the birth of their child or shortly before or after they will sustain a serious birth injury, leading to a lifelong disability. Unfortunately, this happens every day, forever altering the lives of the child and their parents. There are some instances in which a birth injury cannot be prevented. However, the vast majority of the time the injury could have been entirely prevented. One example of a birth injury that is often preventable is spastic cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is a permanent and irreversible injury, leaving victims permanently disabled. Families who have a child diagnosed with this type of devastating birth injury often ask our experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Bend, Oregon what is spastic cerebral palsy and what are our rights?
Here at Kuhlman Law, our experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help victims and their families recover compensation for all types of egregious types of medical errors and injuries, including birth injuries such as spastic cerebral palsy. Victims often face a lifetime of disabling injury or harm, and can suffering catastrophic damage if treatment, therapies, and medications are not properly started and maintained. Having a birth injury lawyer review your case and answer your questions on what is spastic cerebral palsy and how can a medical malpractice lawyer in Bend, Oregon help you really matter and can make a difference in your outcome.
To learn more, contact Kuhlman Law today to schedule your FREE consultation to learn more about your rights to compensation under Oregon law. We also handle cases in Minnesota, including in the Twin Cities.
What is Cerebral Palsy and What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
The diagnosis of cerebral palsy is often devastating. Unfortunately, given that it is irreversible, parents are left to accept the fact that their child will struggle with their disability for the rest of their lives. The life that the child will have is often now far different from the life that their parents had envisioned for them. Parents are often faced with many questions after a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, such as how did this occur? Will my child need special care for the rest of their lives? Could this have been prevented?
Cerebral palsy is a term that is used to describe a group of disorders that cause impairment in movement, balance and posture and is caused by damage to the brain. There are many different causes of CP. The most common cause of cerebral palsy is congenital CP, which refers to damage to the brain or abnormal brain development that could occur prior to birth or during birth.
But other causes of cerebral palsy, including those caused by medical malpractice or medical errors, include the following:
- Failure to identify fetal stress during labor and delivery
- Abnormal brain development
- Failure to intervene in a timely manner when fetal stress is identified
- Opting for a vaginal birth when a c-section is indicated
- Overuse of Pitocin, a labor inducing drug
- Premature birth, which may or may not be preventable
- Improper management of infections during pregnancy
- Kernicterus due to failure to diagnose and properly manage jaundice
- Certain maternal medical conditions that can place the child at risk for the development of CP
- Placental detachment
- Fetal stroke
- Infant infections
- Genetic mutations
- Uterine rupture
- Mismanaged shoulder dystocia
- Umbilical cord prolapse
- Nuchal cord
- Failure to properly resuscitate a newborn at birth
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy
- Anything that causes a lack of oxygen to the brain
- Failure to initiate cooling therapy in an appropriate time frame
- Other causes of cerebral palsy
What is Spastic Cerebral Palsy?
As mentioned above, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders, meaning that there is more than one type of cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of cerebral palsy and is caused by damage to the motor cortex of the brain.
People with spastic cerebral palsy often have abnormal tightening of their limbs, involuntary movement of the limbs, impaired coordination and movement, contractures of the joints, impaired ability to walk, muscle stiffness, muscle spasms, and muscle contractions.
The degree in which an individual is affected is based on the degree of damage to the brain. Some individuals with spastic CP may have both arms and legs affected. This is referred to as spastic quadriplegia. Spastic hemiplegia refers to individuals with CP who have impairment on only one side of their body. Individuals with diplegia have impairment of both legs, but may or may not have mild impairment in the arms.
Damages from Spastic Cerebral Palsy
After learning what is spastic cerebral palsy, another important question is what does spastic cerebral palsy cause to individuals. The level of what happens from spastic cerebral palsy all depends on the level or severity of it. That is, how much damage there is to the areas of the brain which result in spastic cerebral palsy. The more lesions and damage, the more likely that a victim may suffer a higher level or more serious level of spastic cerebral palsy.
Thus, victims with mild spastic CP may have some impaired coordination and stiffness. Whereas individuals with moderate or severe spastic CP may be completely unable to walk due to muscle stiffness and locking up, some unable to even sit or lay down comfortably. The level of disability is directly related to the severity of the diagnosis, which means that not every case is the same.
Other Types of Cerebral Palsy That May Manifest Symptoms and Signs Along With Spastic CP
While spastic CP is the most common type of CP, there are other types of CP that can occur due to a birth injury or an injury that occurs prior to delivery or soon after delivery. The other types of cerebral palsy include the following:
- Ataxic CP – This is the most uncommon form of cerebral palsy and is caused by damage to the cerebellum. Children with ataxic CP have impairment of motor movements due to uncontrolled shaking. This type of CP may be identified as the child gets older as there are fewer identifiable symptoms at birth.
- Dyskinetic CP – Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is also referred to as choreoathetoid, athetoid, or dystonic CP. This form of CP is typically caused by damage to the basal ganglia of the brain.
- Mixed cerebral palsy. This is the most severe form of CP and is caused by brain damage to more than one part of the brain. A child with mixed CP will exhibit many different signs of CP depending on what parts of the brain have been damaged.
Why You Should Hire a Birth Injury Lawyer in Bend, Oregon if Your Child Was Diagnosed with Spastic Cerebral Palsy
The diagnosis of cerebral palsy is devastating, and seeking out the help of a lawyer may not initially be considered. However, it is wise to contact a birth injury lawyer as soon as possible for case review. As mentioned above, often times cerebral palsy is entirely preventable. Not only that, individuals will have specialized needs for the rest of their lives. These needs are often quite costly.
You and your child should never have to pay for any specialized needs that your child may have as a result of your child’s CP if it is deemed that it could have been prevented. Another reason for hiring a birth injury lawyer is to try ensure that the same mistake that happened to your child is not repeated.
Questions You May Have For Your Birth Injury Lawyer Besides What is Spastic Cerebral Palsy
You likely have many questions regarding your child’s diagnosis and our lawyers are prepared to help answer them. You may wonder if you are able to sue if your child’s doctor stated that your child’s CP was caused by a genetic mutation. While this may be the case, your doctor may also be incorrect and may be covering up a mistake that was made.
Other questions you may ask include how long you have to file your case, if you need clear evidence to prove your child’s CP was caused by a medical error, or the cost of a birth injury lawyer. Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers in Bend, Oregon are prepared to answer any questions you may have. Call today for a FREE consultation to have your questions answered by an experienced birth injury lawyer.
If You Find Yourself Asking What is Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Call our Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Bend, Oregon and Birth Injury Lawyer in Oregon and Minnesota 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.