Cerebral palsy, often caused by complications during birth, can create a number of serious consequences and disabilities for the rest of a child’s life, including mental health and neurological problems, malnutrition, lung disease, and osteoarthritis. Additionally, the child’s bone density may be affected, causing bone deformities, irregular growth, and difficulty walking. Affected children may also experience frequent bone fractures, even with only mild trauma.

Causes of Bone Density Changes and Osteoporosis

Changes in bone density may occur in cerebral palsy patients for a variety of reasons, including:

• Low intake of calcium and other nutrients due to difficulties chewing or swallowing
• Abnormal vitamin D metabolism due to lack of sunlight exposure
• Immobility, causing lack of normal growth and bone development

There are certain precautions you can take to avoid the complications associated with decreased bone density or osteoporosis.

• Include 10-15 minutes of sun exposure in daily routine, without sunscreen
• Incorporate vitamin C and D intake into normal meals
• Incorporate weight-bearing exercises

Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today

Oftentimes, cerebral palsy is caused by medical malpractice during the childbirth process. When this happens, the skilled birth injury lawyers of the Driscoll Firm are here to help you fight for compensation that covers all past and future costs of cerebral palsy. Please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 to learn more about taking action against those responsible.

After seven long years of legal battle, a district court in Colorado finally awarded millions of dollars to a family who suffered from a medical malpractice incident after staff at the Children’s Hospital Colorado administered an incorrect dosage to their four-year-old daughter, resulting in lifelong brain damage and cerebral palsy, the Gazette reported on April 4.

The Arapahoe County District Court awarded $17.8 million, possibly the largest medical malpractice verdict handled out in Colorado, to Naomi Pressey, now seven years of age. In February 2008, Naomi was given the wrong dose of prostaglandin in preparation for a procedure to treat a common congenital heart defect. The error caused her to suffer from cerebral palsy, severe motor skill impairment, significant intellectual disability and cognitive impairment.

Children’s Hospital Colorado said it plans to appeal the verdict.

Medication error is considered among the most common medical malpractice causes of cerebral palsy in the country. To learn more about taking legal action against a negligent medical facility or practitioner that caused your child to suffer from this life-long condition, consult with a lawyer at the Driscoll Firm by calling (800) 900-7704 today.

At any point during labor and delivery, even the slightest of missteps on part of a medical professional may potentially cause a child to develop Erb’s Palsy. As the result of damage to the child’s brachial plexus—a bundle of nerves in the upper arm and shoulder—individuals living with Erb’s Palsy often require substantial medical treatment in order to restore flexibility and strength back to the affected arm.

Some of the early warning signs that parents of children with Erb’s Palsy first observe include the following issues with one of the child’s arm at birth:

•  A lack of movement
• A lack or response to touch
• Rigidity of the arm held against the body
• Inability to grip with one hand

Should Erb’s Palsy not be promptly diagnosed and treated, a child may suffer from the following long-term symptoms that are associated with Erb’s Palsy:

•  Numbness of the affected arm
• Weakness of the affected arm
• Paralysis of the affected arm
• Muscle atrophy in the affected arm

While symptoms may be successfully mitigated by dedicated physical therapy and surgical procedure, many children continue to struggle with the effects of Erb’s Palsy for the entirety of their lives.

If your child is found to suffer from Erb’s Palsy, you should consult with one of the birth injury attorneys at the Driscoll Firm to learn more about your legal options moving forward. If a negligent medical practitioner is found to be responsible, you may pursue financial compensation that covers medical expenses and the cost of continued treatment. To discuss the particular circumstances that you believe contributed to your child’s Erb’s Palsy, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.

One primary complication of cerebral palsy (CP) is muscle tightness and spasticity in one or both legs. Although several of such cases can be relieved through physical and occupational therapy, some cases of leg tightness and spasticity might be severe, resulting in a compromised range of movements.

For CP children with severe spasticity in the legs, some doctors perform selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) to relieve muscle tightness and improve range. It consists of cutting the thin skin over the lower part of the spinal cord. The nerve connecting to the spinal cord that causes muscle tightness of the legs will then be cut to relieve the symptom.

Sadly, cerebral palsy is often the effect of negligent medical care during the birthing process. If you believe your child’s condition developed as the result of a careless or reckless medical professional, the attorneys of the Driscoll Firm might be able to help. Call our offices at (800) 900-7704 today to learn more about pursuing financial compensation from the people or parties responsible.

Though many children who develop cerebral palsy have been injured by some form of medical malpractice, a number of children sustain injuries that lead to cerebral palsy far removed from the medical environment. With that in mind, virtually any serious head trauma may potentially lead to cerebral palsy during the first few years of a child’s life. If your child has developed cerebral palsy, the birth injury lawyers at the Driscoll Firm can help you determine how this happened, and may help you pursue financial compensation for treatment expenses and any other financial losses.

To discuss the particulars circumstances that led to your child’s development of cerebral palsy with one of our birth injury lawyers, please call our offices at (800) 900-7704 to learn more about how we can help you.

A study by the University of Copenhagen found that inducing labor among women at 37 weeks could possibly reduce the risk of birth asphyxia, stillbirth, and cerebral palsy, according to a report by The Independent on Wednesday, March 4.

Labor induction refers to the use of medications or other techniques to stimulate uterine contraction, and is usually performed only after 42 weeks, when the baby is overdue. However, a recent study, which evaluated 770,936 births over the period of 13 years, revealed that proactively inducing labor at 37 weeks reduced the rate of stillborn births from 1.9% to 1% per 1,000 births. Additionally, peripheral nerve injuries, such as Erb’s palsy, were reduced by 43%, while the rate of cerebral palsy-causing birth asphyxia was down by 23%.

Over the years, countless cases of cerebral palsy have been caused by negligent medical care. If you believe your baby’s cerebral palsy has been a result of a negligent medical practitioner, we at Driscoll Firm can help you seek the compensation you believe you deserve. Call us at (800) 900-7704 for legal advice today.

A recently conducted study by the University of Adelaide-based Australian Collaborative Cerebral Palsy Research Group has found a strong link between the likelihood of developing cerebral palsy and genetic mutation, Medical Express reported on February 12.

The study found out that at least 14% of cerebral palsy cases have been a result of genetic mutation, contrary to what is believed that only up to 1% of cerebral palsy cases have been associated with genetic architecture. The study further showed that cerebral palsy share similar genetic structure as those of other neurological disorders.

This finding, which was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, hopes to change the approach on how medical professionals diagnose and manage cerebral palsy.

Although genetic predisposition may be greater than previously thought, medical malpractice is still the most common cause of cerebral palsy in the country. If you believe negligent medical care has been the cause of your child’s cerebral palsy, speak with an attorney at the Driscoll Firm to learn about the possibility of filing a claim against the party involved. Call us at (800) 900-7704 to discuss your legal options today.

Brachial plexus palsy occurs in newborn infants when a complication arises during delivery, causing nerve injuries and hindering the function of an arm or shoulder. In some cases, the nerve damage heals on its own or can be healed with surgery. However, when the damage is more severe, the child may never regain full function of his or her arm.

In general, there are four different types of nerve injuries that can contribute to brachial plexus palsy. An infant may sustain more than one of these during delivery.

• Neurapraxia: The nerve is stretched but does not tear. The damage will usually heal without medical treatment within three months.
• Neuroma: The nerve fibers are damaged resulting in the formation of scar tissue. This scar tissue may put pressure on the remaining healthy nerve fibers.
• Rupture: The nerve is not just stretched but is actually torn. The nerve will not heal on its own, but may be repairable with surgery.
• Avulsion: The nerve is torn away from the spinal cord. This is the most severe form of nerve damage and is generally irreparable, even with surgery. In certain cases, limited function of the arm may be restored by using a nerve from another muscle.

These injuries are more common during difficult deliveries, or when a complication arises and the practitioner must deliver the baby quickly. Although the damage is never caused intentionally, a mistake or negligence on the part of the medical professional may result in life-changing consequences for the child. The lawyers at the Driscoll Firm, are here to answer your questions and help you understand your options for pursuing financial compensation for your child’s injuries. Contact our offices at (800) 900-7704 today.

Physical therapy usually begins right after a pediatrician has  diagnosed a child with cerebral palsy (CP). Physical therapy is a rehabilitative approach that has been found to significantly improve the lives of many individuals with CP. It involves training to strengthen the muscles, improve balance and flexibility, develop coordination, and promote physical function.

The primary goals of physical therapy treatment among CP patients are to maximize their independence and improve their community involvement by overcoming their physical limitations and focusing on their strengths. This would entail cooperation and constant communication among all the individuals involved: the patient, their parents or caretakers, their pediatricians, and their team of trained and licensed physical therapists.

The financial burden of cerebral palsy treatment can be very taxing and especially troubling for those whose CP has been a result of negligent medical malpractice. If your baby’s CP has been a result of medical malpractice, do not hesitate to take legal action against the parties involved. We at the Driscoll Firm might be able to help you. Call us at (800) 900-7704 for a free assessment of your case today.

Erb’s palsy is a type of brachial plexus injury that causes weakness, loss of feeling, or paralysis of the arm. Infants with Erb’s palsy may experience the condition to different extents; a child whose symptoms affect both the lower and upper arm has a global, or total, brachial plexus injury, while another may not be able to move their shoulder, but can move their hands or fingers.

Erb’s palsy occurs when the set of nerves called the brachial plexus has been stretched or ruptured. Difficult delivery, prolonged labor and breech presentation may all cause brachial plexus damage. In some cases, however, an inexperienced or negligent medical staff member may pull the infant’s neck or shoulder in the wrong manner, which may damage his brachial plexus and cause brachial plexus injuries, such as Erb’s palsy.

If you believe medical malpractice has been the cause of your child’s Erb’s palsy, you might be eligible to seek restitution for all the financial damages your family has incurred. Speak with our team at the Driscoll Firm to discuss the wide range of legal options available for you. Contact our firm at (800) 900-7704 today.