Tragically severe injuries can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after birth.
Many parents are faced with the problem of providing a child with special needs and seek to provide future care and treatment for the child. If a medical error caused the child to be injured, a medical negligence requirement may arise to help ensure the financial security of the potentially staggering medical and financial costs. While most injuries or illnesses are usually not caused by treatment errors, others are closely related to medical neglect or medical errors. Thus, it is necessary to carefully consider, determine whether the birth injury was caused by a mistake of a doctor or hospital, or if the birth injury was something that simply could not be avoided.
Cerebral palsy is one of the main groups of diseases that can result from possible medical errors.
Medical History of Cerebral Palsy
In the 1860s, an English surgeon named William Little wrote the first medical descriptions of a mysterious disorder that forced children in the first years of life, causing stiff, spastic muscles in their legs and, to a lesser extent, in their arms. It was difficult for these children to grasp objects, crawl and walk. When they grew up, they did not get better, but they did not get worse. Their condition, which for many years was called Little's disease, is now known as spastic diplegia. This is just one of several disorders that affect movement control and are grouped under the term cerebral palsy.
In fact, cerebral palsy is an umbrella description of several chronic disorders that impair movement control, which appear in the first few years of life and, as a rule, do not worsen over time. The term "brain" refers to the two hemispheres of the brain or hemispheres, and paralysis means any disorder that impairs control of body movement. Thus, problems in the muscles or nerves do not cause these disorders. Instead, the abnormal development or damage to the motor areas in the brain impairs the ability of the brain to control movement and posture accordingly.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy vary according to severity. An individual with cerebral palsy may have difficulty with subtle motor tasks, such as writing or cutting with scissors; have trouble keeping balance and walking; or have involuntary movements, such as uncontrolled wriggling arm movement. Symptoms vary from one person to another and can even change over time. Other medical disorders, such as seizures or mental injury, can affect some people with cerebral palsy.
Contrary to popular belief, cerebral palsy does not always cause significant disability. While a child with severe cerebral palsy cannot walk and needs intensive, lifelong care, a child with mild cerebral palsy may require limited special assistance. Cerebral palsy is not infectious and is usually not inherited from one generation to another. There are currently no drugs, although scientific research continues to provide improved treatment and prevention methods.
The United Cerebral Palsy Association estimates that over 500,000 Americans have cerebral palsy. Despite advances in the prevention and treatment of some of the causes of cerebral palsy, the number of children and adults affected by it has remained extremely stable or, perhaps, has grown slowly over the past 30 years. This is partly because more critical premature and fragile infections can survive with improved intensive care for the newborn. Unfortunately, many of these babies have problems with the development of the nervous system or suffer from neurological damage. Medical research is currently underway to improve the care of these babies.
Early signs
Signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before the age of 3, so parents are often the first to suspect that their child does not develop normal motor skills. Often, infants with cerebral palsy slowly reach major developmental stages, such as learning to transfuse, sit, crawl, smile, or walk. This is sometimes called developmental delay.
Some affected children have an abnormal muscle tone. A decrease in muscle tone is called hypotension and makes the child appear sluggish and relaxed, even flexible. Increased muscle tone is called hypertension and makes the child appear stiff or rigid. In some cases, the newborn baby has an early period of hypotension, which progresses to hypertension in 2 to 3 months. Affected children may also have unusual posture or support for one side of the body.
Parents who care about the development of their child for any reason should contact their doctor, who can help distinguish normal developmental variations from developmental disorder.
Clinical diagnosis
Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy, checking the infant's motor abilities and carefully studying the history of the disease of the newborn. In addition to checking the symptoms described above — slow development, abnormal muscle tone, and unusual posture — the doctor also tests the baby’s reflexes and seeks early development of manual preference.
reflexes
Reflexes are movements that the body automatically performs in response to a specific tag. For example, if a newborn baby is held on its back and leans in so that its legs are above its head, the child automatically stretches its arms with a gesture called the Moreau reflex, which looks like a hug. Infants usually lose this reflex after 6 months. However, those who have cerebral palsy can hold it for much longer. This is just one of several reflexes that a doctor can test.
Hand preference
Doctors are also looking for hand preferences - the tendency to use the right or left hand more often. When the doctor holds the object in front of and on the side of the infant, the child with the preferred hand will use the arm with the advantage to reach the object, even if the object is closer to the opposite hand. During the first 12 months of life, babies usually do not show preference for hands. But in infants with spastic hemiplegia, a preference may develop much earlier, because the hand on the unaffected side of the body is stronger and healthier.
Movement problems
The next step in the diagnosis of cerebral palsy removes other disorders that may cause problems with movement. Most importantly, doctors must determine that the child’s condition is not getting worse. Although its symptoms may change over time, cerebral palsy is by definition not progressive. If a child constantly loses motor skills, the problem is more often caused by other problems, such as genetic diseases, muscular diseases, metabolic disorders, or tumors in the nervous system. A child’s medical history, special diagnostic tests and, in some cases, repeated examinations can help the doctor determine if a violation is at fault.
CT scan
The doctor may also order special tests to find out more about the possible cause of cerebral palsy in an individual child. One of the tests is computed tomography or CT, which is a complex imaging method that uses x-rays and a computer to create an anatomical picture of tissues and brain structures. CT can reveal underdeveloped areas of the brain, abnormal cysts (sacs, often filled with fluid) in the brain, or other physical problems. With information obtained from CT, doctors can be better prepared to judge the long-term prospects for the affected child.
MRI scan
Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI is a brain imaging technique used to identify brain disorders. This method uses a magnetic field and radio waves, rather than x-rays. MRI provides better images of structures or abnormal areas located near the bone than computed tomography.
Ultrasound echography
Another test that causes problems in brain tissue is ultrasonography or ultrasound. This method bounces sound waves from the brain and uses the structure of the echo signals to form an image or a sonogram of its structures. Ultrasonography can be used with babies before the bones of the skull harden and close. Although it is less accurate than scanning with CT and MRI, this test can detect cysts and structures in the brain, less expensive and does not require long periods of immobility.
EEG
If the doctor suspects seizures, he can order an EEG or EEG. During this test, special spots, called electrodes, are placed on the scalp and record the natural electrical currents inside the brain. Writing can help the doctor see patterns in the electrical activity of the brain that suggest impairment of seizures.
Intelligence check problem
Intelligence tests are often used to determine if a child with cerebral palsy is mentally impaired. However, some children may be underestimated because problems with movement, sensation, or speech due to cerebral palsy make it difficult for them to perform these tests well.
Medical problems associated with cerebral palsy
Doctors will look for other conditions related to cerebral palsy, including attacks of seizures, mental impairment, as well as problems of vision or hearing. For potential eye problems, a doctor may recommend an ophthalmologist examination. If the attending physician suspects hearing loss, he or she may refer the patient to the otolog. Identifying these placement conditions is important and becoming more accurate, as current research provides progress that facilitates diagnosis. Specific treatments can cover many of these conditions in order to improve long-term prospects for patients with cerebral palsy.
What causes cerebral palsy?
Often, parents of children with cerebral palsy are forced to believe that their child suffered from a birth defect that was inevitable. It is rarely said that medical errors led to their disability. Many parents believe that there is no way to find out what caused cerebral palsy, and they don’t know how to find answers. The reality is that cerebral palsy is sometimes the result of a medical error that deprived the baby of oxygen during pregnancy, often when the mother was in labor.
Physicians are required to provide adequate assistance at all stages of pregnancy for women, including work and the period immediately after birth. Unfortunately, doctors are capable of error or negligence.
Physician errors that can cause cerebral palsy include:
- Inability to perform caesarean section when the fetus is in distress or too little oxygen.
- Inadequate monitoring of the mother during pregnancy and through work processes.
- Test results for misinterpretation during pregnancy or the direct conduct of necessary tests.
- It is impossible to follow closely when the mother has a condition such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, kidney disease, lupus or thyroid disease.
Peace of mind
If your child has cerebral palsy, it may be caused by medical negligence. You owe your child and your family to determine if you can determine the cause of your child’s condition. A good negligence lawyer will receive all relevant medical documents, review all documentation and consult with leading medical experts to determine finally whether the medical negligence caused your child’s medical condition.
Lifetime cost of child care
The cost of caring for children with cerebral palsy can be financially catastrophic. You should expect significant costs over the life of your child, because over time the condition does not improve. However, if the condition of your child is defined as the fault of the hospital or doctor, then there must be medical insurance against negligence to provide financial compensation for these expenses.
If your child or grandchild was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which you think may be caused by a doctor or hospital mistake, talk to a lawyer practicing cerebral palsy.
