What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy is caused by brain damage before, during or shortly after birth, and can lead to a baby suffering mobility issue for the rest of their life, and in the most severe cases, a baby can be left with lifelong care needs. The main causes of Cerebral Palsy include an infection during early pregnancy, abnormal brain development, lack of oxygen, and a rare genetic link.
Other links to Cerebral Palsy include:
- Difficult birth
- Birth weight of 2.5 pounds or less
- Premature birth
- Father is age 20 or below
- Mother is either below 20 or over 40 years old
According to Scope, 1 in 400 children have Cerebral Palsy in the UK. While there is no cure, physiotherapy can help people with Cerebral Palsy to lead more independent lives. Making sure these care needs are met and that the patient’s family has access to vital support, medication and home adaptations is very important to our Medical Negligence Solicitors.
Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
While everyone with Cerebral Palsy will be different, there are some main symptoms, which include:
- Development milestone delays
- Feeding or swallowing problems
- Weak arms or legs
- Muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Too stiff or too floppy
- Constipation
- Walking on tiptoes
- Learning disability
It’s important to understand that this varies from individual to individual. For example, someone can experience only one side of their body being affected, while others have their entire body affected.
Types of Cerebral Palsy
There are 4 different types of Cerebral Palsy, which all have different symptoms. Based on the symptoms that the individual is experiencing, the condition that a doctor diagnosis will vary.
Here are the 4 types of Cerebral Palsy:
Mixed Cerebral Palsy
This term is used to refer to people who have symptoms of two or more types of Cerebral Palsy.
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Someone with Spastic Cerebral Palsy will experience stiff and tight muscles that can make it very difficult to move. As a result, the range of movement will reduce significantly.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy refers to people who experience balance and co-ordination problems. As a result of this, they will likely have clumsy movements.
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy causes uncontrolled body movements because of muscles switching between varying levels of stiffness and floppiness.
Living with Cerebral Palsy
Despite the severity of the condition people with Cerebral Palsy can live an independent life, to a certain extent. As the condition isn’t progressive, they can also live to the same age of anyone else. Symptoms have the potential to either get better or worse, which will be unique to the individual.
As mentioned above, the severity of the symptoms will vary so the effect of living with Cerebral Palsy can lead to patients requiring significant support. As a result of having movement difficulties, they may require adaptations within their home, workplace, and school.
People with Cerebral Palsy feel tired much easier as their muscles work harder, which means that provisions will need to be made. Some people need electronic aids to communicate, and this can be expensive to maintain.
If they have a severe lack of body control, they may also require full-time carers to help them with their day-to-day living and medications.
Treatment for Cerebral Palsy
While there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, the symptoms can certainly be managed. Children and adults with Cerebral Palsy are usually offered a form of treatment that is best suited to their symptoms, with an aim to improve them and to allow them to be as independent as possible. Forms of treatment include physiotherapy, surgery, and occupational therapy. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, they may need a medical specialist to oversee the care.
How to Claim Compensation for Cerebral Palsy
If your child suffered a birth injury that caused Cerebral Palsy, our expert Medical Negligence Solicitors are here to help your child get the care and support they’ll need for the rest of their life.
Contact us for a free claims assessment, so we can discuss what’s happened to you and your child, answer any questions you may have and let you know if we can help you claim compensation. We can also discuss funding options, as we may be able to help you on a No Win, No Fee basis.
What Compensation Can Help With
The compensation you could receive could make a huge difference to both you and your child, giving you the means of accessing vital support such as:
- Technology
- Medication
- Home adaptations
- Physiotherapy
Of course, no amount of compensation can make up for the emotional distress you’ve gone through and the fact your child must live with a lifelong condition. But with the right compensation settlement in place, living with these daily challenges should be a little easier, and we’ll work hard to make sure you get the right settlement that genuinely meets your family’s long-term needs.
Additional Support
We’ll also work closely with the NHS to make sure that lessons are learned so the same mistakes aren’t made again in the future.
We can also help to make sure your child gets the support they need in school, and goes to a school that is able to meet their unique needs. Our specialist Education Law Solicitors can also act on your behalf if you feel your child’s needs aren’t being met at school.
Cerebral Palsy Claim Case Study
£3.8 Million Compensation Award in Childbirth Cerebral Palsy Case
We represented the mother of a newborn baby who believed that mistakes had been made throughout her pregnancy, labour and delivery, and that this led to the baby suffering Cerebral Palsy. The child will never be able to live independently and has severe behavioural problems.
The NHS Trust responsible for her care denied liability (fault) at first, but we pursued the claim further and negotiated a settlement before the case went to Court.
Our client accepted a compensation settlement of £3.8 million, which included several interim payments and periodical payments that will increase as the child’s needs increase with age.
How We Can Help
If your child has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, you may have worries about the future and what is ahead for your child. But if your child has Cerebral Palsy as a result of medical negligence, you can open a claim on their behalf.
A Medical Negligence Claim isn’t just about obtaining financial compensation, but to secure the best possible life for your child. Compensation will be able to help fund the necessary support for your child and family.
If you would like to discuss your case, please contact our expert team today for a free consultation. We’ll hear your case and provide legal advice on whether your claim will be successful. If you decide to go ahead with the claim, we’ll keep you updated every step of the way.
Cerebral Palsy Support – Additional Charities and Services
Scope
Scope is a disability equality charity that provides information and support about Cerebral Palsy. Their mission is to make sure that everyone who’s disabled gets the same opportunities as everyone else.
Action Cerebral Palsy
Action Cerebral Palsy works at raising awareness of children and young people with Cerebral Palsy. The organisation also recognises the effects that it has on their families. Overall, they look to deliver awareness of the condition within politics, professional industries, and the general public.
Children Today
Children Today aims to improve the lives of children and young people with disabilities in the UK. The charity provides specialised equipment to families who need it to help support their child develop more independence.
Up
The Up movement aims to make positive changes in society about how Cerebral Palsy is thought about. The movement empowers people who live with Cerebral Palsy to stand up for themselves and to lead the best lives that they can. They welcome new members who can help spread the word about the movement.
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