Cerebral Palsy Attorneys in Pontiac, Michigan

Coping with a new cerebral palsy diagnosis is one of the hardest things a parent will ever have to do. In this section, we’ll provide you with some simple information in order to familiarize you with your legal options. We encourage you to contact our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers with any questions, inquiries, or concerns that arise in your experience reading our site—you may reach our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers in any of the following ways:

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Cerebral Palsy from Birth Injury

Caused by damage to a baby’s developing brain, cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that affects the cerebrum and nervous system. People with cerebral palsy primarily experience difficulties with movement, motor function, and bodily control, and can display signs such as imbalance, low muscle tone, poor posture, involuntary movements, and reflex abnormalities. Other side effects include seizure disorders and epilepsy, sense impairments (particularly impairments to vision and hearing), learning disabilities, cognitive deficiencies, communication impairments, feeding and swallowing issues, and more. Most patients develop cerebral palsy before, during, or right after birth.

Cerebral Palsy in Pontiac, Michigan

Our Pontiac Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Explain Malpractice & Birth Injury

Of the roughly 10,000 new cases of cerebral palsy diagnosed this year, a large percentage will result from medical errors—misdiagnoses, procedural errors, or other instances of negligence on the parts of a medical professionals. In this section, we’ll discuss a few scenarios of medical malpractice that our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers have experience with and extensive knowledge of.

  • Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE; birth asphyxia) is a brain injury that results from neonatal oxygen deprivation around the time of birth. When one of a number of pregnancy insults or complications restricts the flow of oxygenated blood to a baby’s brain, the resulting neurological damage often causes cerebral palsy, lifelong developmental disabilities, and even fetal death. As you’ll read throughout this section, a large number of pregnancy complications can, when mismanaged, lead to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy with resultant cerebral palsy.
  • Umbilical cord problems: The umbilical cord carries important nutrients, oxygen, blood, and gases from the placenta to the baby. The following umbilical cord complications interrupt this important nutrient flow and endanger the health of neonates:
    • Nuchal cords are umbilical cord complications characterized by the looping of the cord around a neonate’s neck. Occurring in roughly one third of births, nuchal cords are common but dangerous. Medical professionals must properly diagnose and anticipate nuchal cords to prevent infant oxygen deprivation, HIE, cerebral palsy, fetal death, and related complications.
    • Umbilical cord compression and cord prolapse: Umbilical cord compression is a complication characterized by the obstruction of blood and oxygen flow through the umbilical cord. Cords may become compressed in cases of nuchal cords, cord prolapse, or any other situation in which the cord is pressed between the baby’s body and the mother’s pelvic region. Cord prolapse occurs when the umbilical cord exits the uterus before or with the baby during delivery. Umbilical cord prolapse is a rare complication that severely heightens a baby’s risk for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, brain damage, and cerebral palsy.
  • Premature delivery: Because premature birth is another leading cause of cerebral palsy, medical professionals must work to foresee, monitor, and prevent it. Premature babies (born before 37 weeks of gestation) are thirty times likelier to develop CP than full term babies. Their underdeveloped organs cannot withstand certain infections, illnesses, and insults associated with delivery and life outside the womb. A number of complications associated with premature birth can increase a premature baby’s risk of developing cerebral palsy—some include over-ventilation, jaundice and kernicterus, intracranial hemorrhages (brain bleeds), infection, and others.
  • Intracranial hemorrhages, also known as brain bleeds, are birth trauma injuries characterized by bleeding within a baby’s brain or skull. There are three main instances in which the insults of labor and delivery can cause intracranial hemorrhaging:
    • Size and presentation abnormalities: Size incompatibilities between the baby and the mother’s pelvic region, as well as malpresentation abnormalities, often create the kinds of birthing scenarios that lead to intracranial hemorrhaging. Macrosomia, cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD), face presentation, and breech presentation are some size and presentation issues that, when mismanaged, can exert dangerous pressure on a baby’s head and cause intracranial hemorrhaging. The failure to quickly order and perform an emergency C-section in these dangerous deliveries often worsens brain bleeds, brain damage, HIE, and cerebral palsy.
    • Hyperstimulation of the uterus: During deliveries that fail to progress, strong and rapid uterine contractions can result in brain bleeds and birth asphyxia. Strong contractions and hyperstimulation are often offset by the misuse of labor induction drugs such as Pitocin and Cytotec in situations of malpresentation or size irregularities.
    • The misuse of delivery assistance tools such as forceps or vacuum extractors often causes bleeding in the brain and skull. Excessive force or twisting of the head and neck may result in brain damage and cerebral palsy.
  • Maternal and fetal health problems: When left untreated, the following maternal and fetal health conditions may compromise the health of the baby:

We’ve only listed some of the many medical errors that can cause cerebral palsy. To learn about other instances of medical malpractice, visit our Causes & Risk Factors pages.

Signs and Symptoms Associated with CP and Brain Damage

Diagnosing cerebral palsy takes different forms and timelines for different patients. Below we’ve listed some common signs, side effects, and symptoms that indicate the presence of cerebral palsy.

  • Psycho-motor cognitive impairments
  • Poor head, trunk, and limb control
  • Failure to crawl, walk, speak, sit up, or respond to stimuli by the average age
  • Large or small head size
  • Cognitive deficiencies or learning disabilities
  • Seizures
  • Developmental delays
  • Poor muscle tone (hypotonia)
  • Low Apgar score
  • Feeding, swallowing, or communication issues

Cerebral Palsy Treatment and Therapy

Treatment Options and Financial Assistance in Pontiac, Michigan

Fortunately, the brain damage that causes cerebral palsy does not continue to progress or worsen as a patient ages. However, this brain damage is chronic and, depending on its severity, may require significant financial investments to manage and rehabilitate. If you suspect medical malpractice was at the root of your child’s cerebral palsy diagnosis, we urge you to reach out for the compensation granted to you by law. Our MCPA Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers have helped families claim financial assistance in the past in order to take advantage of the excellent medical and lifestyle resources available in Pontiac, Michigan.

For reference, we’ve listed some of the treatment and therapy options available to individuals with cerebral palsy below. To learn more about cerebral palsy treatment and therapy options around Pontiac and Michigan, visit our Treatments & Therapies page here.

  • Therapy: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech-language pathology, conductive education, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), stem cell therapy, intensive suit therapy, and complementary and alternative therapies
  • Adaptive equipment: Adapted vehicles, wheelchairs, specialized recreational supplies, smart phones, communication technologies, and much more
  • Magnesium sulfate treatment
  • Hypothermia treatment (brain cooling)
  • Surgeries
  • Medications

Legal Help for Pontiac Cerebral Palsy Victims

Pontiac Cerebral Palsy Lawyers

The birth injury lawyers at Michigan Cerebral Palsy Attorneys have decades of experience with birth injury malpractice litigation and will help you determine if your child’s cerebral palsy resulted from medical negligence. Whether you gave birth to your child in a Pontiac hospital or somewhere else in Michigan, our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers will fight to obtain the compensation necessary to secure a future of health, equal opportunity, and rehabilitation for your child. Email or call our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers toll-free at (888) 592-1857 today for your free legal consultation. Our no-fee promise ensures you will not be charged unless our Pontiac cerebral palsy lawyers win or settle in your favor.

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