Birth Injury Lawyer | How Does Cerebral Palsy in Infants Manifest?

Cerebral palsy in infants can be very hard to detect. This type of birth injury, which results from the infant’s brain being starved of oxygen, is principally associated with effects on the muscles. Because infants are only just learning how to use their muscles at all, the symptoms of delayed development that characterize this disorder may not be readily apparent. In some cases, this may result in the disorder going undiagnosed for weeks or months after the child is delivered, though new technologies make early detection somewhat easier than in the past.

Ataxic cerebral palsy can be particularly hard to detect in infants. This is because the disorder is most associated with difficulty walking. Those who suffer this form of CP oftentimes have very poor balance and their walk may be very irregular and unsteady. This type of CP oftentimes occurs along with others, however, and sometimes those other forms are detected before the Ataxic form. Most often, this particular disorder will become noticeable when the child first begins to attempt walking, though some other muscle functions may be compromised, sometimes noticeably so.

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is usually far easier to detect. This disorder affects the whole body. Oftentimes, an abnormally stiff or loose muscle tone is the first sign that there’s a problem. The infant may feel “floppy” or their joints may seem to bend somewhat irregularly. In other cases, the infant may be noticeably stiff and be delayed in milestone events such as rolling over, beginning to explore the world with their hands or other activities that denote the onset of normal muscle development. The other effects of cerebral palsy, such as learning difficulties, may not be noticed until the child is old enough to begin school or before, if they have trouble with normal cognitive development.

Baby brain damage can lead to very expensive medical bills. The treatments may include physical therapies to help the child develop muscles as normally as possible and special assistance with school. If the cause of the disorder was medical negligence on the part of the doctor, nurse, institution or another entity, a lawyer may be able to put together a lawsuit for you. You may win such a suit by going before a jury, or you may find yourself being offered a settlement in consideration of what you and your family have been put through.

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