How to Make a Successful Cerebral Palsy Claim A diagnosis of cerebral palsy can have profound effects on the child and their family. Compensation can help them live a fuller life, with access to the equipment, care and support. Many cases of cerebral palsy result from medical negligence. This could be due to the lack of prenatal care, issues during labor and delivery, or other events. Causes There is no cure for CP however, early diagnosis and treatment may improve a child's abilities. Doctors can diagnose CP by looking at the child's muscle tone, movement and coordination. They might refer children to specialists such as neurologists, pediatric orthopedists and physiatrists to assist in managing symptoms and increase life-quality. Every person is affected by cerebral palsy in a unique way. It can be mild with a minimal effect on a child's ability to function, or severe enough to cause physical impairments throughout the body. The signs can include a neck that is floppy (floppy neck) muscles that are stiff or uncontrolled that is difficult to walk or has problems with speech and other functions. If a child has cerebral palsy on one side of the body, this is known as hemiplegia. When it happens on both sides, it's known as diplegia. A severe CP can result in a locked-in (spastic) condition with muscle spasticity, which restricts a person's movements and leads to difficulties with speech and eating. Birth complications are an often-repeated cause of CP. Midwives, doctors, and nurses should be extra cautious when giving birth to babies since brain damage can cause serious harm. A physician could be held accountable for malpractice if a medical error results in cerebral palsy or brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation. This is the case when scheduling or performing a Csection urgently or not being able to monitor and escalate an intense labor. Symptoms If your child is suffering from cerebral palsy, they'll most likely exhibit a variety of physical symptoms. These could include stiff or tight joints as well as a limp, uncontrolled movement and problems with balance and posture. Other problems include intellectual disabilities, speech delays as well as hearing and vision issues. Cerebral palsy symptoms are triggered by damage to the developing brain, usually in the early years of childhood or in infants. A delay in reaching milestones, such as sitting up, crawling or walking is a typical symptom of CP. Children with CP are also more likely to have trouble swallowing and might need feeding tubes. Numerous factors can contribute to the development of a brain injury that triggers CP that can be caused by infections such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, or toxoplasmosis in the womb as well as high blood pressure during pregnancy, and genetic predisposition. Asphyxia (a severe lack of oxygen) during labor or delivery is the leading cause of CP. Based on the type of cerebral palsy, symptoms may range from mild to severe. The most commonly encountered type of cerebral palsy can be described as spastic cerebral psoriasis, which is characterized by stiff muscles. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy (also known as athetoid choreoathetoid, choreoathetoid) is known as a slow and uncontrolled writhing movements of the legs, arms, and body. Other forms of CP could include ataxic cerebral palsy, characterized by an unstable motion and paraplegic cerebral parsy in which the arms and legs are affected. Treatment Although cerebral palsy symptoms differ, most sufferers of the condition experience stiffness and a loss in muscle control. They may also have issues with coordination and balance. The type of problems they suffer from depend on the area of their brain that was injured as well as its extent of the injury. Many people suffering from CP require special physical therapy to increase their mobility, muscle tone, and stretch their joints and muscles. It can also relieve pain and prevent contractures. Braces, exercises, or other treatments could be included. Musculoskeletal disorders such as patella alta, hip dysplasia, cervical stenosis, scoliosis are common in CP. These disorders can lead to significant mobility issues and reduce life expectancy. Speech and therapy for language are a way to help children who are unable to communicate effectively. This can help children discover new ways of communicating and may include sign language, communication board, or voice synthesizers. These medicines are used to limit abnormal movements, ease seizures, and ease pain. These drugs can be taken orally or directly into the muscles affected, or into the surrounding fluid of your spinal cord. Compensation If your cerebral palsy case is successful, you will be compensated to you pay for medical equipment, specialist care and treatment. This will be based on the psychological and physical impact that your child's condition has had on them, as well as any losses and expenses that you've incurred. This could include the loss of earnings as you had to take a break from work to take care of your child, home adaptions and transportation costs to transport your child to and from appointments. Based on the degree of the injury to your child Your lawyer could hire an expert in disability services to create a "life care plan' that clearly defines their needs beginning with the date of their diagnosis until they reach adulthood. This can help you determine a more accurate amount of compensation. This is usually in the form of a lump sum and regular annual payments, which could be indexed to keep pace with the rate of inflation. You must be aware that compensation for a successful legal claim is not a quick cash payout. It's a recognition of wrongdoing that occurred because medical professionals failed to perform their duty of care during labour, pregnancy, and the delivery.