Cerebral palsy is a disorder that can affect a person’s muscle tone, motor skills, and movements. Often, this occurs due to damage to a developing brain during pregnancy or the delivery process. Is cerebral palsy always a birth injury?
Any type of birth injury has the ability to create lifelong challenges for the child and their family members. When you learn that your infant has cerebral palsy, it is natural to want to seek answers.
At Prochaska, Howell & Prochaska LLC, we know that birth injuries can take their toll on families. Learning more about the disorder can help affected individuals get the right care for their conditions.
In this blog, we’ll look at all the factors that can lead to this neurological disorder, including mistakes made in the delivery room.
What Is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is not just one disorder but a group of neurological issues that can affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Damage or abnormal development in the brain can disrupt the person’s ability to maintain posture, balance, or muscle control.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, cerebral palsy is the leading cause of childhood disabilities in the United States. Cerebral palsy is a blanket term for many disorders. They are often classified into several types based on the nature of the motor dysfunction:
- Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type, which is characterized by stiff muscles and awkward movements.
- Dyskinetic cerebral palsy can include athetoid, choreoathetoid, and dystonic cerebral palsies, which leave those affected with uncontrolled movements.
- Ataxic cerebral palsy is often characterized by problems with balance and coordination.
- Mixed cerebral palsy is a combination of symptoms from the above types.
What Can Cause This Neurological Condition?
According to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, this condition occurs in every three infants per 1,000 live births. While many people connect birth injuries with cerebral palsy, there is more than one cause of this disorder. When there are complications during the pregnancy or birthing process, a birth trauma or injury may occur. Sometimes, these complications cause hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In these cases, there is a lack of oxygen to the brain, which can result in cerebral palsy. However, there are many other factors that can contribute to birth injuries.
Potential complications can arise at any moment before, during, or after the delivery. For example, if the delivery leads to prolonged labor, that can cause an increased risk of brain damage. Additionally, a breech birth, where the baby is positioned abnormally during delivery, can result in injuries.
Sometimes, the medical staff will need to use equipment to help with the birth. The use of forceps or vacuum extraction during delivery can cause physical trauma to the baby, especially around the head area. Even the position of the umbilical cord may be a factor in cerebral palsy. A cord prolapse or a tight nuchal cord could restrict blood flow and oxygen to the baby, leading to complications.
Premature birth is another factor to consider. Those babies who are born prematurely may be at higher risk due to their underdeveloped organs, including the brain. The doctors and other healthcare professionals often monitor the mother and baby for any signs of complications. However, some mistakes made by these personnel can lead to cerebral palsy in the child.
Other Causes of This Disabling Diagnosis
Cerebral palsy can also result from issues during pregnancy. These prenatal causes account for the majority of these cases and include:
- Maternal infections, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasmosis, can damage the developing brain.
- Insufficient blood supply from the placenta could cause fetal brain damage.
- Certain genetic mutations can predispose a baby to brain malformation.
- Maternal exposure to alcohol, drugs, or certain medications may impact fetal brain development.
Cerebral palsy is not always the result of prenatal and birth-related factors. Sometimes, it can develop shortly after birth or during early childhood. Severe jaundice, head injuries, infections, and even strokes are major contributors that can lead to cerebral palsy in a child.
How Is Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed?
Children affected by cerebral palsy may have asymmetrical movements, poor balance, abnormal posture, feeding and swallowing difficulties, and speech delays. Along with that, they also may experience sensory issues and cognitive or behavioral challenges. With early detection and intervention, you may improve your child’s quality of life.
In these cases, your healthcare provider may request tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, to help identify brain abnormalities associated with cerebral palsy.
Along with that, electroencephalograms (EEGs) may be used to detect seizures, which are present in children with cerebral palsy. With these methods, you can discover whether your child has cerebral palsy and develop a treatment plan to help them manage the disorder.
While birth injuries can lead to cerebral palsy, they are not the only cause. Medical issues during pregnancy, shortly after birth, and in early childhood can all contribute to the development of this neurological disorder.
However, if you believe that mistakes made throughout pregnancy or during the delivery contributed to your child’s cerebral palsy, you may be able to take legal action in Kansas. Discussing your case with a skilled birth injury lawyer in Topeka can help you learn more about your options.