CEREBRAL
PALSY FAQ
>>
What is Cerebral Palsy?
>> What
causes Cerebral Palsy and how is it diagnosed?
>> What
do the different types of Cerebral Palsy
mean?
>> Does
Cerebral Palsy get worse?
>> Can
Cerebral Palsy be cured?
>> What
Are Realistic Goals for a child afflicted
with
Cerebral Palsy?
>> What
are my legal rights regarding Cerebral Palsy
caused by medical errors?
What
is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a term used to describe
a group of disorders affecting body movement
and muscle coordination. The
medical definition of cerebral palsy is
a "non-progressive"
but not unchanging disorder of movement
and/or posture, due to an insult to or anomaly
of the developing brain. Development of
the brain starts in early pregnancy and
continues until about age three. Damage
to the brain during this time
may result in cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy
is not contagious, hereditary, or life threatening.
Damage to the brain interferes with messages
to the body and vice versa. There are varying
degrees of Cerebral Palsy that affects individuals
differently. The slightly awkward movements
and awkward hand control may be observed
in someone with a lesser degree of Cerebral
Palsy. Severe cases of Cerebral Palsy may
result in virtually no muscle control and
very affected movement and speech.
Different areas of the brain can be damaged
that can cause muscle tightness or spasms,
involuntary movement, difficulty with gross
motor skills, such as walking or running,
difficulty with fine motor skills, such
as writing or dressing, and difficulty in
perception and sensation. These problems
can then affect other things, like feeding,
bladder and bowel control, breathing, and
pressure sores. The damage to the brain
that caused the cerebral palsy can also
lead to seizures, learning disabilities,
or developmental delays.
Cerebral Palsy is the result of damage to
the brain. The damage has already occurred
and it does not
get worse. People with Cerebral
Palsy do not continue to worsen in condition
because of this reason, but the effects
of Cerebral Palsy can change. While some
people can improve their condition, others
may get worse.
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What
causes Cerebral Palsy and how is it diagnosed?
Approximately 85% of the brain damage related
to cerebral palsy occurs prior
to birth. While some cases of
Cerebral Palsy have no explanation, some
instances of CP are due to medical
errors. Some of the prenatal causes
may be premature pregnancies, lack of proper
nutrition, or a virus. In 75% of prenatal
cerebral palsy, the cause cannot be determined.
Studies performed by the Harvard Medical
School found that most of the medical errors
that occur the parents never find out what
happened.
The other 15% of cerebral palsy that occurs
happens post-natal,
the main cause being infection. Bacterial
and viral infections can cause damage to
the fetus during pregnancy. If untreated,
the infections may induce premature labor,
resulting in possible brain damage from
either the infection or the result of a
premature birth. Infections can go unnoticed
if the medical team fails to detect it.
Other
post-natal causes may be from automobile
accidents, falling, and child abuse.
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What
do the different types of Cerebral Palsy
mean?
Cerebral Palsy can be classified by number
of limbs involved or by the movement. There
is also a combined classification that involves
a mixture of different variations of Cerebral
Palsy. Roughly one quarter of people with
Cerebral Palsy have a mixed form.
Classification By Number of Limbs
- Quadriplegia-
all 4 of the limbs are involved
- Diplegia-
all 4 limbs are involved, though the legs
are affected more than the arms
- Hemiplegia-
one side of the body is affected, usually
the arm more than the leg
- Triplegia-
3 limbs are involved, usually one leg
and both arms
- Monoplegia-
1 limb is affected, usually an arm
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Classification
By Movement
- Spastic
Cerebral Palsy- This is the most
common form of CP, affecting
70-80%. The muscles are in a constant
state of spasticity, tight and stiff muscles
that are exhibited in stiff and jerky
movements. Spasticity can affect just
a few movements or the entire body. There
are ways to help control spasticity, including
therapy, surgery, drugs, and equipment.
Spastic CP is usually due to damage to
the cerebral cortex part of the brain.
- Athetoid
Cerebral Palsy- Athetosis leads to
difficulty controlling and coordinating
movement. Athetoid CP occurs when the
muscle tone is mixed, sometimes it is
too high and sometimes it is too low.
Involuntary writhing movements and constant
motion are common attributes to Athetoid
CP. Damage to the basal ganglia, in the
midbrain, is usually what results in Athetoid
Cerebral Palsy.
- Ataxic
Cerebral Palsy- This is the least
common form of CP. Ataxic CP causes a
disturbed sense of balance and depth perception.
Poor muscle tone, staggering walk, and
unsteady hands are usually seen. This
form of CP is the result of damage to
the cerebellum, the brain's major center
for balance and coordination.
- Mixed
Cerebral Palsy-
This form of CP occurs when muscle tone
is too low in some
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Does
Cerebral Palsy get worse?
Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive
disorder. This means that whatever
damage was done to the brain will not get
any worse, though symptoms can change over
time. Different treatments and therapies
can help a child reach their physical and
mental potential.
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Can
Cerebral Palsy be cured?
There is no treatment that will cure Cerebral
Palsy since CP is the result of a brain
injury. The main goal of professionals who
work with individuals affected by cerebral
palsy is to foster as much independence
for the individual as his or her impairment
will allow. For many individuals with cerebral
palsy, inclusion is more a matter or management
of their disorder, rather than
treatment or a cure.
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What
Are Realistic Goals for a child afflicted
with
Cerebral Palsy?
When thinking of the future for your child,
it is best to be both realistic and optimistic.
Just as with any other child, it is important
to develop skills from the ground up. It
is equally important for the parent of a
child with cerebral palsy to be realistic
about the child's abilities now and for
the future. With professional help, the
parent will slowly develop realistic goals
and it is these goals that the parent, child,
and professionals should dedicate their
effort. Occasionally, difficulties in communication
arise when the parents, educators, and medical
care providers discuss present abilities.
Maximizing this
level of communication allows
parents, educators, and medical care providers
to understand where the child is now and
where their capabilities will be in the
future. An attempt to define future expectations
is usually more important in the teenage
years and beyond, when function is better
defined and the future and potential is
more evident to all parties.
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What
are my legal rights regarding Cerebral Palsy
caused by medical
errors?
Parents of a Cerebral Palsy child that was
negligently injured at birth may have the
right to seek compensation for the lifelong
costs of raising a child with special needs
to attend to, including medical expenses,
wage losses, therapy, pain and suffering,
and mental anguish. To contact a Cerebral
Palsy lawyer, please click on our 'Contact
Us' page with any questions or concerns
you may have.
>>
To learn about the consequences
of medical errors
CLICK HERE.
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