Does Your Child Have Cerebral Palsy?
More than 760,000 people in the United States are currently living with cerebral palsy. Of that number, 500,000 of those are under the age of 18 and medical professionals estimate that another 10,000 children born each year will develop cerebral palsy during their childhood. While the symptoms may vary in severity from case to case, there is no cure for this disorder, and families will need to make accommodations to ensure that their child is properly cared for. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that their care will cost approximately $1 million over the patient’s lifetime.
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At Robert Sparks Attorneys, our Tampa cerebral palsy attorneys have dedicated their careers to protecting and defending the rights of victims who have suffered because of a medical mistake. Too many cases of cerebral palsy could be prevented with proper monitoring and care, and medical malpractice victims have the right to seek compensation for their injuries. Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements over the years, and are ready to fight to protect you and your family.
Causes and Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy symptoms can affect anything from a single body part to the entire body, and can range from mild to crippling depending on their severity. Some symptoms of the disorder include:
- Seizures
- Abnormal posture
- Abnormal reflexes
- Involuntary movements
- Difficulty walking
- Trouble eating and swallowing
- Inability to perform precise movements
- Mental disabilities
- Vision and hearing issues
- Trouble speaking
If the doctors diagnose cerebral palsy early enough, then there are a variety of treatments available to help mitigate or prevent the symptoms from developing. According to researchers, one of the leading causes of cerebral palsy is fetal distress before and during the birth, something that can be mitigated or outright avoided with proper care. Common risk factors include:
- Oxygen deprivation – Also known as asphyxia, a lack of oxygen can lead to issues with the infant’s brain’s development and lead to cerebral palsy. Asphyxia is most often caused during a difficult delivery.
- Maternal infection – Diseases like chickenpox, Zika virus, herpes, rubella, and toxoplasmosis can significantly increase the risk of cerebral palsy.
- Premature birth – Children born three or more weeks early have a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy, and that risk increases the earlier they are born.
- Low birthweight – Infants weighing less than five and a half pounds are at an increased risk of developing the disorder, but that risk diminishes as their weight increases.
Call us at (813) 606-5050 to speak with a birth injury lawyer today.
In order to prevent oxygen deprivation – one of the most dangerous birth injuries – from affecting the infant during the pregnancy or delivery, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) created a set of protocols for obstetricians to follow. Failure to do so can result in a delayed diagnosis which will only increase the risk of your child developing a more severe case of cerebral palsy.
Hire a Qualified Attorney Today
Contact the Tampa cerebral palsy lawyers at Robert Sparks Attorneys if your child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as soon as possible – Florida’s statute of limitations requires that you file a birth injury case within two years of the injury, or within two years of when it should be reasonably discovered. Because symptoms of cerebral palsy may only begin to develop as your child grows up, it’s important to have an attorney on your side who can prove that your claim is valid, and that you deserve compensation for the mistakes your doctor made. Call us at (813) 606-5050 to speak with one of our cerebral palsy attorneys today, or fill out our online form to request a consultation.
