Every year, thousands of expectant parents and newborn babies suffer from birth injuries that may have been prevented. Birth injuries can have a life-altering impact on the lives of both children and parents.
One of the most common birth injuries in the United States is cerebral palsy. If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you have options. Contact our Baton Rouge, LA, cerebral palsy lawyers today for a free case review.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a broad term that refers to a number of neurological disorders that can impact the development of a child’s brain function, motor skills, muscle control, and more.
Cerebral palsy is the result of brain damage suffered by a child before, during, or immediately after the birthing process. During the period immediately before and after its birth, an infant’s brain is still in its developmental stages. If an infant sustains brain damage during this developmental period, it can cause permanent damage to their brain and muscle tissue, nervous system, and more.
What Are The Signs and Symptoms?
The signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy may differ depending on what type of brain injury was sustained when it occurred and what part of the brain was impacted. Additionally, many parents are not even aware that their child suffers from cerebral palsy until years after they are born.
Cerebral palsy does not worsen over time, but the signs and symptoms often become more apparent as the child continues to develop and grow into their body. Some children do not demonstrate early signs of cerebral palsy until they are 3 or even 4 years old.
Some early indications that your child may suffer from cerebral palsy include:
• In Babies Younger than 6 Months: Your baby feels either extremely stiff or extremely floppy when held. When picked up and cradled, your baby’s legs may become stiff and cross or scissor, and your baby’s head may lag.
• In Babies Older than 6 Months: Your baby cannot roll over in either direction; cannot bring his or her hands together, or your baby has difficulty bringing his or her hands to his mouth, and cannot reach out with both hands simultaneously..
• In Babies Older than 10 Months: Your baby cannot crawl on all fours, or your baby either crawls by reaching out with one hand and leg while dragging the other or moves by either hopping on his knees or scooting on his buttocks.
How often does cerebral palsy occur?
Tragically, cerebral palsy is one of the most common disabilities affecting children in the United States. Here are some statistics that demonstrate the high occurrence of cerebral palsy in the U.S.:
• It is estimated that cerebral palsy impacts between 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 live births in the United States each year.
• Approximately 10,000 babies born each year will develop cerebral palsy in their lifetime.
• Nearly 764,000 Americans currently live with some form of cerebral palsy.
• Between 1,200 and 1,500 preschool-aged children will be diagnosed with some form of cerebral palsy annually.
Contact Gauthier Amedee Today
If your child suffers from any form of cerebral palsy, it is important to contact our experienced Baton Rouge, LA, cerebral palsy lawyers at Gauthier Amedee right away.
The costs of a lifetime of care for children born with cerebral palsy can be astronomical. You should not be held responsible for medical bills and health care costs if your child’s injuries were the result of negligence by a doctor, nurse, or hospital. Call Gauthier Amedee today at 225-657-1700 for a FREE, confidential, and no-obligation consultation about your case.
When you call, one of our dedicated, hardworking attorneys will speak with you for free. They will investigate your case, and make sure that the rights of you and your child are protected.
At Gauthier Amedee, you never have to pay any attorney’s fee upfront. In fact, we only get paid after you do. And if there is no recovery, there is no attorney’s fee. It’s that simple. We’re here to work hard for you and to make sure that your rights are fully protected.