Cerebral Palsy: One of the Most Common Brain Injuries Developed During Birth

Illinois brain injuries can be caused because by a variety of situations, often from a car accident or a slip and fall. At other times, the brain trouble could arise as a result of a birth injury. One of the more well-known brain injuries that can be developed because of mistakes made at birth is cerebral palsy. Our Chicago brain injury lawyers continue to help many families whose children have developed cerebral palsy because preventable mistakes were made by healthcare workers. Many misconceptions remain about cerebral palsy, and many community members are not sure what the condition actually consists of. Contrary to popular perception, cerebral palsy is not a single problem, but it is a group of disorders affecting the brain and nervous system. Suffers often have sensory problems which affect their ability to hear, see, move, learn, and think. The National Center for Biotechnology explains that victims are most commonly identified by their muscular problems, spanning the spectrum from trouble with fine motor skills to an inability to walk.

While cerebral palsy often develops at birth, it can actually arise while the child is still in the womb or after they are already born. Brain infections, bleeding on the brain, severe head trauma, severe jaundice and other problems can lead to cerebral palsy in the early stages of infancy. The birth injury cause of the condition often arises when a baby is born in the breech position. In this situation, the child may experiences umbilical cord prolapse-a compression of the umbilical cord that cuts off blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Professionals in the area often explain that there are three main types of cerebral palsy. First, ataxis cerebral palsy is a version that causes the afflicted to have muscle tone problems; this results is unstable or shaky movements. The choreoathetoid version of the condition is characterized by spontaneous movements of the trunk, limb, and face muscles. The third type is known as spastic cerebral palsy. It is by far the most common form, constituting over 70% of cerebral palsy sufferers. Spastic cerebral palsy victims have severe mobility problems caused by stiffness in the muscles. These three versions of the condition are often used for ease of understanding but other, rare versions also exist.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for cerebral palsy. Recently, however, there have been a few medical advances that offer encouraging hope to those wishing for a fix. In one high-profile case, a four year old girl suffering from cerebral palsy saw vast improvement after she received an injection of her own stem cells which were taken from her umbilical cord shortly after her own birth. Her family explains that she was able to walk, talk, and interact significantly better following the injection.

Through the years as our Illinois cerebral palsy lawyers have worked with families facing this condition, we have come to appreciate the immense costs faced by victims. Most sufferers require around the clock specialize care to ensure that they receive the aid they need. Because the condition arises at birth or in infancy, those costs must be borne over a lifetime. Obviously, it is only a very rare family that has the personal resources to pay for those staggering medical costs. Most are instead require to use public programs for assistance. In other cases, when the brain injury was caused by a mistake by medical professionals that should have been prevented, families are capable of receiving assistance from the wrongdoer for the costs of the care.

See Our Related Blog Posts:

Hypothermia Treatment for Lack of Oxygen Birth Injuries

Illinois Birth Injury Lawsuit Settles for Over $15 Million

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