Tag: cerebral palsy attornerys baltimore

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Posted on by YostLaw

Cerebral palsy (CP) occurs in nearly 1 in every 500 births, making it is the most prevalent cause of motor function impairment. A disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture, CP is a neurological condition caused by brain damage which is usually suffered before, during or soon after a baby is born. CP may also cause seizure disorder (epilepsy), swallowing, speech and eye movement problems, and can cause intellectual disabilities.  Premature birth significantly increases an infant’s risk of CP.  There are several different types of CP, with each type classified according to the type of body movement and posture problem present. Ataxic cerebral palsy is the rarest type of cerebral palsy and involves the entire body.

Ataxic CP causes problems with:

  • Balance
  • Precise Movements (may reach too far or too close to touch objects)
  • Coordination (may walk with feet unusually far apart)
  • Hand control (may have trouble buttoning clothing, writing or using scissors)

If there is birth trauma during labor and delivery, it is possible for the baby to suffer from a brain injury due to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen. Medical staff is expected to monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to ensure the safety of the baby and avoid birth injury. Medical negligence in this area could be the reason why you child suffers from cerebral palsy.

Motor functioning impairment greatly affects quality of life. Additionally, the cost of care for a child with brain damage is high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake at birth, or caused by an extremely premature birth which healthcare providers negligently failed to prevent (such as a failure to diagnose and treat preeclampsia), the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

 

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy

Posted on by YostLaw

Cerebral palsy, or CP, is one of the most common birth injuries associated with medical negligence in the United States. This serious medical condition is the result of an injury to the baby’s brain, including brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery. Cerebral palsy can be categorized into different forms, based on the degree of brain damage and the area/areas of the body affected.  Forms of cerebral palsy include dyskinetic CP, spastic CP, and ataxic CP.

Dyskinetic CP results from damage to the basal ganglia of the brain (responsible for regulating voluntary movement) and is associated with a number of symptoms that cause muscle tone to fluctuate between being loose and tight. The different forms of dyskinesia include, dystonia, athetosis, and chorea, and result from damage to slightly different structures within the basal ganglia.

Characteristics of dystonia include painful muscle contractions, causing slow twisting or repetitive movement, and a disabling, rigid posture. Athetosis is characterized by slow, continuous, involuntary, writhing movements that may cause those affected to appear restless. People with chorea experience brief, abrupt involuntary movements and may appear fidgety.

It is the medical staff’s responsibility to consistently monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate. When signs of fetal distress go unnoticed, the baby can suffer from oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery, which is an obstetrical emergency. Consequences of such negligence can result in permanent brain injury, such as dyskinetic CP, when the baby suffers brain damage from lack of oxygen (hypoxia or anoxia) during labor and delivery.

The cost of care for a child with brain damage, is very high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake at birth, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.ysys

Spastic Cerebral Palsy at Birth

Posted on by YostLaw

Spastic cerebral palsy is a permanent loss of muscle control caused by an injury to the brain resulting from a variety of causes, one of which is a lack of oxygen to the baby during labor and delivery.

Spastic CP is characterized by involuntary movement of the arms and legs, uncontrolled muscle spasms and can also affect the muscles controlling speech and swallowing.  Spastic CP can affect all four limbs, neck and torso (tetraplegia), both arms and both legs (quadriplegia), or only one arm or leg (monoplegia) but most commonly affects the arm and leg on one side of the body, only (hemiplegia).  Less commonly, spastic quadriplegia can affect three limbs (triplegia).

Poor coordination and balance, a complete inability to relax tightened muscles, difficulty walking, talking and eating are all common complications of spastic CP.  For those who suffer from this neurological disorder, affected joints become very stiff and hard to move.  Over time, the affected arms or legs may become extremely painful and interfere with the ability to function independently or even to sit in a comfortable position

Birth injuries, such as spastic cerebral palsy, can be the direct result of medical negligence.  It is important for medical providers to consistently monitor the baby’s heart rate and the mother’s contraction rate to identify if the baby is experiencing a lack of oxygen during the entire course of labor and delivery. If a complication, such as a very low (bradycardia) or very high (tachycardia) fetal heart rate is identified in a timely manner, medical providers can respond immediately to fetal distress.  A baby’s lack of oxygen during labor and delivery is an obstetrical emergency and can result in permanent brain injury such as spastic CP.

There are a number of treatments available for the management of spastic CP. However, the cost of care for a child with cerebral palsy, or any brain damage, is very high. If your child’s brain injury was caused by a medical mistake, the experienced Birth Injury lawyers at The Yost Legal Group are here to help.

Call The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) for a FREE, confidential, no-obligation consultation. When you call, you will speak with a Baltimore Birth Injury attorney with real experience absolutely free. At The Yost Legal Group, there is no fee or expense unless you recover.

Umbilical Cord Prolapse is Linked to Hypoxic Brain Injury in Children

Posted on by YostLaw

When a woman is pregnant, the umbilical cord is what connects the mother to the developing fetus, acting as a lifeline for the child. It allows the supply of nourishment and oxygen for necessary development. Unfortunately, one in every 300 births involves an umbilical cord prolapse (UCP). An umbilical cord prolapse occurs when part of the umbilical cord gets ahead of the baby, and comes through the cervix and into the birth canal before the baby does. This pinches the umbilical cord and causes a reduction or complete cut-off of the oxygen supply to the fetus. If untreated, umbilical cord prolapse can result in birth injuries due to lack of oxygen (hypoxia) including: cerebral palsy, developmental delays, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), or even death of the child.

Signs of Umbilical Cord Prolapse Include:

  • Abnormal fetal heart rate pattern
  • Fetal heart rate drop, often sudden and sustained, to a heart rate lower than 120 bpm
  • The doctor performing a pelvic exam and finding either:
    – The umbilical cord protruding through the cervix or in the vagina ahead of the baby
    – The umbilical cord in an incorrect position

Once it is discovered that the mother and child are experiencing UCP, it is important that the correct steps are taken to ensure their safety. UCP can be corrected by a doctor or physician if the proper steps are taken. Procedures may include changing the mothers positioning to relieve pressure on the umbilical cord, using a vacuum to extract the baby quickly if she is giving birth at the time, or a C-section delivery may be vital.

Complications due to umbilical cord prolapse are the cause of preventable hypoxic brain injury in children.  Cerebral palsy is one of the injuries which can occur due to untreated umbilical cord prolapse.  Cerebral palsy cannot be cured but treatment will very often improve a child’s capabilities and, in general, the earlier treatment begins the better chances are that children will overcome developmental disabilities.

Our experienced attorneys fight for individuals who have been negatively impacted by the negligence of others.  If you would like to discuss your child’s potential claim arising from HIE or CP, the Birth Injury Attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination.  For a free consultation, please call us at 1-800-YOSTLAW.

Contact Form

DO I HAVE A CASE?

Contact us at the Yost Legal Group for a free initial consultation. We can help to provide information about ongoing litigation or discuss the circumstances of your individual case. There is no fee or expense unless you recover.