Cerebral palsy is a condition that is marked by impaired muscle coordination and/or disabilities that are typically caused by injury or damage to the brain. Cerebral palsy has the potential to affect a person’s posture, balance and ability to move, communicate and perform everyday activities such as sleeping, eating and learning. The parts of the body that are affected by cerebral palsy, the severity of the condition and the symptoms may vary from person for person.
For instance, one person may have a weakness in one hand and find tasks such as writing difficult. Another person may have no control over their movements and may need 24/7 care and assistance. People with cerebral palsy may experience uncontrolled movements, muscle stiffness, muscle weakness and may also have problems with breathing, swallowing and bladder/bowel control.
The Effects of Cerebral Palsy
Here are some of the common problems that affect those with cerebral palsy:
Issues with Speech: Cerebral palsy may affect a person’s ability to speak. People may experience varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to speech. Some people may be able to speak, but may not be able to enunciate words. Others may sound “breathy” when they speak because of issues related to breathing. Some victims with cerebral palsy may not even be able to produce sounds. One in four people with cerebral palsy are unable to talk.
Chronic pain: Three out of four people with cerebral palsy experience pain. This is often because of physical impairments associated with the condition such as abnormal postures, bent spine, involuntary muscle contractions, hip subluxation, etc. This type of chronic pain may affect a person’s quality of life, their behavior and even relationships. Victims may avoid day-to-day tasks such as going to school or participating in social events. It is important that these patients receive necessary pain management aid for their condition.
Issues with eating and drinking: Cerebral palsy often affects the muscles that control the movement of the lips, mouth and tongue. Some individuals with cerebral palsy may have trouble chewing and swallowing food and drink. Many with this condition are not able to use spoons or forks, hold a cup of transfer food from a plate to their mouth using their hands. Some also have acid reflux issues, which may make eating uncomfortable. In addition to these issues, those with cerebral palsy may have issues with saliva, also known as drooling.
Intellectual disability: Half of those with cerebral palsy have an intellectual disability and one in five have moderate to severe intellectual disability. However, it must be noted that those with severe physical impairment may not have an intellectual disability. Conversely, there may be people who may have only minor physical impairments, but may have a severe intellectual disability. Children with cerebral palsy often experience learning difficulties. They may not have motor skills or may suffer from a short attention span. Some students with cerebral palsy also have trouble focusing.
Hearing and vision: One in 20 people with cerebral palsy have some type of hearing impairment and one in 25 children with the condition are deaf. Vision impairment is also common with cerebral palsy cases. Children with severe cerebral palsy are likely to experience vision issues. One in 10 children with cerebral palsy are blind.
Behavioral issues: Children with cerebral palsy also tend to have behavioral issues. Those at greatest risk are individuals with disability, epilepsy or a milder level of physical disability. Some common behavioral issues include dependency, hyperactivity, anxiety or antisocial behavior.
Contacting a Birth Injury Lawyer
If your child suffers from cerebral palsy as the result of medical negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our law firm helped a family secure a $43,940,000 verdict for a child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Another client of ours received a $23,500,000 verdict for a child who developed cerebral palsy and mental retardation after suffering a birth injury. Both verdicts were so large that they were reduced on appeal. We also recovered $1,400,000 for a newborn who lost motion in the arm during birth due to doctors applying incorrect force on the baby’s head
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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