I almost let March slip by without recognizing Cerebral Palsy Month! The Cerebral Palsy Foundation is a wealth of resources for patients and caregivers. As I was perusing the site, I found the fact sheet link that provides a good starting point for parents and caregivers to understand the developmental issues associated with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that affects movement and muscle tone occurring as a result of a brain injury or abnormal development before, during or after birth. The cause could be related to preterm birth, infection, malnutrition or an injury caused by negligence of a medical provider or hospital.

Sometimes, parents do not know that there was negligence during the birth of their child until a few months to years later. Symptoms of CP differ in type and severity. A child with CP will exhibit deficits with movement and posture. There may be some noticeable signs of intellectual disabilities, impaired communication skills, vision and hearing deficits. Your child may experience seizures, excessive drooling and weakness in the arms/legs.

Some cases of CP are more noticeable than others. Sometimes, parents notice the growth development is different from the other children at that age. Your child should be meeting certain milestones during the first several years of their lives. For example, at 2 years old, the movement/physical developmental milestones include the ability kick a ball, run, walk, and eat with a spoon.

There is no cure, yet. The child with CP will need a lifetime of care and medical equipment. Adults with CP have an increased risk of medical issues secondary to the CP. Some will develop bladder/bowel incontinence, hypertension, osteoarthritis, depression and pulmonary diseases.

When the birth injury is suspected to be caused by medical negligence, have an attorney look to see what happened behind the hospital doors.