Severe Cerebral Palsy in Children
Cerebral palsy is a developmental disorder caused by brain damage. While damage to the brain cannot be reversed, many of the effects/symptoms can be managed through various treatment options such as medication, surgery, and physical therapy.
Severe Cerebral Palsy
Severe cases of cerebral palsy may manifest in serious mobility issues, including paralysis. This may require your child to use a wheelchair, and could necessitate constant supervision and in-home care to assist with activities of daily living such as eating and drinking, bathing, oral hygiene, getting dressed, and using the restroom.
Severe cerebral palsy can be very expensive to treat due to the constant care that your child will need. There are several resources and support groups which may be able to offer limited financial support to your family, but with the estimated cost of raising a child with severe CP rising to over $1 million, it’s very important to look into presumptive SSDI benefits and maintain health insurance, be that through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicaid, or Medicaid waivers.
What Causes Severe CP?
Cerebral palsy is the result of an injury or malformation of a child’s brain. Any kind of trauma (even an infection) can cause permanent damage to a developing brain, which can result in the development of severe neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy.
Since the areas in the brain responsible for movement, speech and muscle tone are often affected, children with severe forms of cerebral palsy may find it difficult to impossible to move around unassisted. They may also have trouble expressing themselves, and some children are simply unable to manipulate items such as doors, cups, utensils, and more.
Several factors can increase the likelihood of a child developing cerebral palsy, which you can find on this page.
Medical Malpractice
Not all cases of cerebral palsy can be attributed to medical malpractice, but if you suspect that a doctor or nurse’s negligence resulted in your child’s birth injury, you should discuss the facts of your case with an attorney.
Severe cerebral palsy can be attributed to negligence in several ways. If a doctor uses excessive force during delivery via forceps or vacuum, the baby’s underdeveloped head and brain may suffer unnecessary trauma. Infections during the course of pregnancy should be caught in a timely manner before they compromise the cervical barrier and amniotic sac, since once they are in this area, they are more likely to travel to the brain as well as other vital organs. Failure to identify such a dangerous infection could be considered malpractice.
Not monitoring a baby’s vital signs — as well as not providing emergency medical care upon witnessing signs of fetal distress — can lead to hypoxia or the interruption of oxygen supply to brain cells, leading to brain cell death and consequently, cerebral palsy.
Severe cerebral palsy isn’t something most American families are prepared to deal with. This is a very costly condition which will likely require lifelong care. If you feel that your child’s birth injury was the result of medical malpractice, why should your family suffer financially? Discuss your legal options with a law firm experienced in cerebral palsy cases. Find an attorney willing to discuss the facts of your case for no cost, and learn whether or not you have a lawsuit worth pursuing.