Information about Cerebral palsy, birth injury, birth trauma, and legal recourse in Colorado.
Cerebral palsy is a disorder causing involuntary, sometimes spastic, movement or posturing of the body due to a brain injury that often occurs during birth or the first five years of an individual’s life. There are four specific types of cerebral palsy, all of which can be the result of labor and delivery complications. These four types are: spastic cerebral palsy, Ataxic cerebral palsy, Athetoid- Diskinetic cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy due to Fetal Hypoxia
Cerebral palsy that is caused at birth is often the result of fetal hypoxia, which is simply a lack of oxygen to the fetus during labor and delivery. However, a number of complications can result in cerebral palsy in newborns, including a prolapsed umbilical cord, umbilical cord wrapped around the neck, premature delivery, and dropping or mishandling of an infant by medical staff after delivery.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
There are four types of cerebral palsy in infants and adults, and each type has its own set of distinct characteristics. Each type of cerebral palsy listed below can be the direct result of a birth injury or labor and delivery complication.
Spastic Cerebral Palsy: The symptoms of spastic cerebral palsy in an infant or small child include tight, seized-up leg and hip muscles. A small child with spastic cerebral palsy may walk with a “scissoring” gait. This is the most common type of cerebral palsy due to birth injury.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: The symptoms of ataxic cerebral palsy in an infant injured at birth include fine motor skill difficulties and experiencing tremors while reaching for a toy or other object. A child with ataxic cerebral palsy may purposefully reach for something only to have his efforts made difficult by involuntary shaking. This is the rarest type of cerebral palsy due to labor and delivery complications or birth injury.
Athetoid-Diskinetic Cerebral Palsy: The symptoms of athetoid-diskinetic cerebral palsy due to birth injury include a lack of control of most or all of the body’s muscles. Many children and infants with this type of cerebral palsy due to a birth injury may have perfectly normal IQs.
Mixed Cerebral Palsy: This type of cerebral palsy simply refers to any combination of the above three types of cerebral palsy. Infants or children who have mixed cerebral palsy as a result of labor and delivery complications will exhibit symptoms of two or more types of cerebral palsy.
Can Cerebral Palsy be Prevented?
Although not all cases of cerebral palsy can be prevented, there are many cases of cerebral palsy that are due to medical negligence during labor and delivery and are absolutely preventable.
Related Information
Kiel & Trueax, LLC
We are an experienced Colorado Cerebral Palsy, Birth Injury and Birth Trauma Law
Firm. We will work hard to recover your damages and compensate you for your losses.
Contact us at (303) 694-2666 or by email for your free consultation.
Cerebral Palsy Related to Birth Injury