Cerebral Palsy is a traumatic brain injury that affects approximately 5-10,000 infants in the United States per year. If the injury results from unnecessary hospital practices or birth malpractice, a Personal Injury Attorney must be alerted immediately so that the victims may receive proper compensation.

The parents of a victim may receive large amounts of compensation to cover for the care of a victim in the long term or even for life. Unfortunately, the amount of children born with cerebral palsy deficiencies has not changed. Most birth-injuries are related to medical malpractice before, during, or after the birth of a child. Many malpractice suits are levied against medical professionals for the management of the pregnancy prior to birth, or the negligence of the baby’s appropriate needs during or after labor.

There are also many other causes of birth-related injuries which causes cerebral palsy. Some cases are caused by premature birth, low birth weight, hemorrhage in the child’s brain, an infection or illness of the mother, or long term exposure to drugs or alcohol during the pregnancy.

Unnecessary caesarian sections also increase the chances of reproductive damage in the mother as well as a variety of birth defects. Also, the standard time between the decision to perform a caesarian section and the actual delivery is at maximum deemed to be 30 minutes. Any longer and the chances of a birth injury are at a high risk.

Doctors and medical scientists classify a cerebral palsy birth injury into three main categories: spastic, athetoid, and ataxic. Spastic Cerebral Palsy affects almost 60-80% of all victims diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This form of CP causes the muscles to be stiff and permanently contracted and it is described by particular limbs. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy is the second leading form, which affects 10-20% of cases, and is characterized by uncontrolled muscular movements, such as awkward or unnatural stances or gestures, and tends to increase under stress. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy, the rarest (5-10%), causes poor balance and depth perception. Coordination and precise movements are also very difficult.

Sources:

http://www.consumerjusticegroup.com/birthinjury/

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