Cerebral Palsy Attorneys in Royal Oak, Michigan
Adapting to a cerebral palsy diagnosis is demanding for both the patient and the patient’s family. The Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys encourage those affected by birth injury and cerebral palsy to become as educated about the subject as possible—on this page you’ll find some brief information regarding cerebral palsy, the medical errors that may cause CP, therapy and treatment options, and more. Our legal and life care experts urge you to use the information throughout our site and reach out with and concerns or questions. Our Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers are available to talk with you through our online contact form or toll-free at (888) 592-1857.
Cerebral Palsy: Brain Damage and Birth Injury
Before we begin our deeper discussion about cerebral palsy, we’ll offer a few simple, basic facts about the condition. Cerebral palsy, also known as CP, is the blanket term given to a grouping of movement, motor function, and control disorders. Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive neurological condition that results from damage to the developing brain of a child, infant, or neonate. People with cerebral palsy may display side effects and signs including imbalance, communication disorders, reflex and control issues, joint and bone deformities, spasms and tremors, decreased muscle tone, impairment of the senses, seizures and epilepsy, and more. Cerebral palsy is most commonly inflicted with injuries before, during, or just after birth, although any damage to the brain during its development may lead to CP. We’ll talk more about the causes of cerebral palsy in the next section.
Cerebral Palsy: Causes, Risk Factors, and Malpractice
Royal Oak Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Explain Birth Injury & Malpractice
A regrettable number of cerebral palsy cases result from medical error, negligence, and malpractice. Without proper diagnosis, care, treatment, or management, a number of events before, during, or after birth can disturb a baby’s brain development. In this section, we’ll discuss some scenarios of medical malpractice that our Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers have handled in the past. If you recognize any of the following instances of malpractice (or any other) from your own pregnancy or delivery, don’t hesitate to contact one of our Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers here or by phone at (888) 592-1857.
- Premature birth is one of the most common causes of cerebral palsy and, generally speaking, the earlier a baby is born, the higher her risks are for developing chronic disabilities and medical complications. In fact, almost half of the individuals with cerebral palsy were born prematurely. Premature babies, who are born before 37 weeks of gestation, have fragile bodies, organs, and nervous systems that cannot withstand injury and illness. Additionally, premature babies lose the safety of their mothers’ wombs before they are able to independently fight infection.
- Birth asphyxia; hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE): HIE is a birth complication in which the brain receives inadequate amounts of oxygen. Birth asphyxia can cause a number of dangerous and life-altering injuries, so medical professionals are obligated to monitor for, prevent, and quickly treat any complication that may result in HIE. Some known causes of birth asphyxia include umbilical cord prolapse, nuchal cords, maternal hemorrhaging, prolonged delivery, and more.
- Maternal or neonatal infections increase the chances of premature delivery, infection transmission, brain injury, disability, and cerebral palsy. Bacterial, viral, sexually transmitted, and parasitic infections are known causes of cerebral palsy—some of the more common infections that, when mismanaged by a medical professional, cause CP include rubella, herpes, chorioamnionitis, villitis, bacterial vaginosis, and toxoplasmosis.
- Multifetal births, which are instances in which a mother births more than one baby during a single delivery (i.e. twins, triples, etc.), face higher chances of cerebral palsy than single births. Multiple births are prone to nuchal cords and cord prolapse and compression, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), malpresentation or size abnormalities (such as breech presentation, face presentation, and cephalopelvic disproportion), emergency C-sections, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome), premature birth, low birth weight, and more.
- The failure to order an emergency C-section during dangerous, prolonged, strained, or challenging vaginal deliveries is a common instance of medical malpractice leading to cerebral palsy. Medical professionals are required to prepare for emergency C-sections and ensure that the hospital has proper facilities to support a Cesarean section delivery if need be.
- The failure to properly monitor for fetal distress is another scenario of medical malpractice that may result in cerebral palsy, HIE, and even fetal death. When medical professionals fail to properly monitor fetal heart tracings, they often fail to address and act upon emergency situations that require intervention.
- Intracranial hemorrhages (also known as brain bleeds) are common birth trauma disturbances that lead to cerebral palsy. Excessive force or pressure on a newborn’s head causes bleeding within the brain or skull and irrevocable brain damage. Common causes of intracranial hemorrhages include macrosomia, cephalopelvic disproportion, failure to perform C-sections, the incorrect use of forceps or vacuum extractors, and hyperstimulation from the overuse of Pitocin and Cytotec (labor induction drugs).
While we’ve only listed some of the causes and risk factors for cerebral palsy in this list, we encourage you to read more about the subject here.
Treatment and Therapy Options
Although cerebral palsy is caused by a single untreatable brain injury, a number of therapies and treatments help to manage and restore the resultant side effects, injuries, and disabilities of the condition. Treatment and therapy programs are tailored to each patient’s specific needs and prioritize regaining and supporting equality, independence, mobility, potential, and well-being. Some forms of treatment and therapy available to individuals with CP include physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy, recreational therapy, medications and surgeries, adaptive equipment, specialized education (such as conductive education), intensive suit therapy, and much more. To view our complete list, visit our page on Treatments & Therapies for cerebral palsy.
Legal Help from our Royal Oak Cerebral Palsy Lawyers
At Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys, our birth injury team is dedicated to helping your loved one obtain the resources necessary for a life of rehabilitation, happiness, and equal opportunity. Our Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers have extensive experience helping families and victims of medical malpractice attain the proper financial assistance necessary to move forward in health and security. The first step is contacting us—we urge you to reach out to our Royal Oak cerebral palsy lawyers online or by phone at (888) 592-1857. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you and your family.