Brainpalsy.com – Helping Parents Combat Cerebral Palsy

A brain injury that happens during the development of fetus or a newborn can cause cerebral palsy. The causes of brain damage are not understood by doctors however it is known that there are risk factors that can contribute to the condition such as:

Maternal Infections

The chances your baby will have some level of brain damage increases nine times if the mother gets an infection while pregnant. Some infections include:

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

Infection of the bladder or kidney

Rubella

Infection of the bloodstream such as Sepsis

Chorioamnionitis, a uterus infection

Toxoplasmosis

Maternal infections can be prevented and if left untreated can result in your baby developing this disability. If you are having a baby and you think you may have an infection go see your doctor to get treated.

Prenatal/Neonatal Infections & Complications

The risk of cerebral palsy increases when you have an infection during prenatal/neonatal care:

* Bacterial meningitis

* Viral encephalitis

* Group B streptococcal infection

* Herpes group B

* Sepsis

* Rh incompatibility

* Severe Jaundice

It is difficult to know precisely how these complications result in cerebral palsy. There are facts that prove that prenatal infections can lead to early labor and delivery. More evidence show that infections prompt brain damage which essentially may result in disability.

Premature Birth/Low Birth Weight

Having a baby before 37 weeks of development increases the risk of cerebral palsy. A low birth weight may be indicated as a cause. Premature infants are more defenseless than babies of regular term and they will most likely experience more complications with their health and have to be hospitalized.

Smoking, drug and alcohol use, stress, some infections of the mother, abnormal cervix, and previous pregnancies that were preterm are all factors that will put your baby at a higher risk.

Birth Injuries & Medical Malpractice

Not all cases are inherited (also known as congenital). There have been cases where a child suffers brain damage during the actual delivery that resulted in cerebral palsy. Injuries at birth can and should be prevented. Still, it does happen and here are some examples of procedures that if ignored, can result in an injury to the brain:

• Maternal infections diagnosed and treated promptly

• Identify and act upon fetal distress

• A C-section done in a timely manner

• Treat jaundice in the newborn

• Make sure there is enough oxygen to give

• Use instruments such as forceps correctly

Medical malpractice is not normally done on purpose, but what a family must go through after is unfair. The financial stress alone is overwhelming. It is a family’s right to be compensated for the permanent condition your child is in because of neglect. Families can file a lawsuit when medical malpractice caused your child’s disabilityt. There is help out there for families to recover cost for treatments, medications and other losses.

When to Talk to a Medical Attorney

If your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy because the delivery of your baby was difficult a medical error may have occurred. You should contact a medical attorney right away. Treating a child with this disability is very expensive and can cost more than $500,000 over the child’s lifespan. It is an unfair situation for families to be put in and that is why you may be entitled to some compensation. You can recover losses when filing a medical malpractice lawsuit and be compensated for treatments, also for mental anguish, pain and suffering and other related costs. Remember there is no cure for cerebral palsy, the cost for care is expensive, you have rights and a medical attorney can go over your legal options.

Half a million members of the population in United States are suffering from one form of cerebral palsy to another. This is a wide spreading congenital disorder experienced by both children and adults. It is a disorder that hinders the ability of a person to move in a coordinated and determined way.

Infant cerebral palsy takes place even prior to the childs birth or during the first three or five years of his life. This is a crucial stage in the life of a child because the disorder can lead to the impairment of hearing, vision, speech and learning disabilities.

The causes and treatments of cerebral palsy in infant are not definite. Although there are alternative cures such a therapy and surgeries available. These kinds of special treatments can help them alleviate the aggravating experience of a child with his living condition.

Cerebral palsy in infants can be diagnosed through the help of pediatricians and neurological specialists. They usually keep track of the lives of the child from birth up to a particular stage. Finding out that there is a developmental delay in the muscle function of a child, can be a great manifestation of cerebral palsy.

Other implications of cerebral palsy on a child are abnormal muscle tone, poor coordinated movement and persistent infant reflexes beyond a certain age. If you have also observed that your child has a difficulty in reaching for his or her toys at four to seven months after birth, then it is better to send the infant to a doctor for a series of tests.

Since the real cause of the disorder is undetermined, there is no way to prevent it as well. However, there are some possible ways to decrease the chances. First is for the moms to ensure a healthy pregnancy and as much as possible carry the baby on the right term. Premature babies are more likely to develop cerebral palsy.

Future or expectant mothers should also make sure that they should distance themselves from many different possible health problems like hypertension, diabetes and heart deficiencies that could inflict them. Immediately after a pregnant woman finds out that they are carrying a child inside their womb, proper prenatal care is very necessary.

Once the baby is born, brain damages should also be prevented. Avoid scenarios where the head of the child bumps into hard things. Never shake an infant as well because it can result to baby syndrome and brain damage.

The health of your child will depend on how you care for them. Cerebral palsy in infant can be prohibited only if you know how to avoid its probable causes.

It is not surprising to many people when they hear that thousands of babies born all over the globe are affected by cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is certainly not a contagious disease as some people think it to be. Moreover, it is certainly not a byproduct of this new world filled with technological advancements. It has been around for centuries, and only in 1861, did physicians begin their study of this disorder.

A child struck by this disorder in their early years of life can be distinguished from other normal children of the same age by the stiff muscles in both their arms and legs, which prevent them from crawling, walking and even from trying to grasp their toys or any other objects. Cerebral palsy means disorder of the part of the brain which causes muscles to become weak. There is no muscle coordination at all and this prevents them from changing their body positions with ease.

Cerebral palsy happens when the brain, which gives out commands to the body to perform certain actions, gets affected. Depending upon the part of the brain that gets affected, cerebral palsy in children can vary. While some children may find it difficult to walk, others may find it difficult to talk, eat, or even play. The causes of Cerebral Palsy remain a mystery to most in the medical field. It is possible that babies can be subject to injuries to their brain especially if they are premature especially when they are being delivered. The heads of these babies will often be soft and tender and needs to be handled careful. Either any force used by hands or any instruments like forceps can cause grievous injuries to the baby’s brain. Even those babies that are put on ventilators to breathe are at risk of contracting cerebral palsy.

Causes of Cerebral palsy are mostly due to brain injury either before birth, during birth or just shortly after birth. A number of factors can cause cerebral palsy. However, two important problems are determined to be the main causes of cerebral palsy. The first cause is brain damage where the brain has failed to develop to its full potential. The second cause is damage to the developing brain. Bleeding in the brain can also cause this disorder in a newborn baby especially a premature one. At times, some babies fail to get the desired oxygen their brain needs while they are still in their mother’s stomach or just after their birth. The severity of the brain damage is directly related to the length of time the baby goes without oxygen.

Other causes of cerebral palsy in a child will be when the pregnant mother happens to contract any other infections or diseases like rubella, herpes simplex etc. Most of these infections can cause damage to the fetal brain during its development stage. In addition, mothers who have high risks like blood pressure, diabetes and incompatible blood type can also be responsible of their babies having cerebral palsy. Research is still being conducted on what exactly causes cerebral palsy in children.