Symptoms and Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy

Many parents experience great delight when their infants reach developmental milestones like rolling over, crawling, and walking. However, these milestones may be significantly delayed if a child has cerebral palsy. There are several different types of cerebral palsy, each of which involves an impact on a different region of the brain and consequently results in different symptoms. If you suspect that your child's symptoms and diagnosis of cerebral palsy are related to medical malpractice, the experienced Baltimore cerebral palsy attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers may be able to help you file a lawsuit to seek damages. The costs of cerebral palsy will be significant over a child's lifetime, and for many parents, their child's best chances involve a great deal of treatment and therapy.

Impairments from cerebral palsy, as well as symptoms, range in severity based on how much damage was done to the brain. Symptoms vary from child to child, depending on the type of cerebral palsy suffered and the area of the brain affected. Generally, however, some symptoms of cerebral palsy include impaired muscle tone, impaired motor function, imbalance, loss of control, posture problems, reflex problems, and difficulty with coordination. Sometimes there is oral motor dysfunction, such that the child has difficulty swallowing or talking.

Certain conditions may co-occur as a result of the same birth injury that led to cerebral palsy. These may include sensory impairment, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and epilepsy. In very severe cases, the symptoms are visible at birth, but more often cerebral palsy is diagnosed at around 18 months, when a child has missed several developmental milestones or experienced significant delays. Your child's pediatrician may notice abnormal muscle tone or posture or persistent infant refluxes.

It is necessary to look at whether there were risk factors during pregnancy or birth and whether the delivery was traumatic when determining the cause of cerebral palsy. The earlier that the diagnosis is made so that a child may start obtaining early interventions and therapy, the better. However, the brain continues to develop throughout a baby's early years. Early tests might not detect cerebral palsy.

We can evaluate your child’s medical records to determine whether there are meritorious grounds to bring a lawsuit. Within 90 days of filing a claim for medical malpractice in Maryland, a plaintiff needs to file a certificate of merit from an appropriate medical expert. The certificate will include a statement about the cerebral palsy, the breach of the standard of care that caused the cerebral palsy, what your doctor should have done to meet the standard of care, and how the breach of the standard of care was the legal cause of your child's cerebral palsy.

If your child has experienced symptoms of cerebral palsy, and you suspect that your obstetrician's acts or omissions were to blame, you should consult a birth injury attorney as soon as you can. Damages may add up to more than a few million dollars over the course of a lifetime, and early interventions may make a difference. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, our Baltimore cerebral palsy lawyers understand the significant challenges faced by individuals and families dealing with cerebral palsy in Maryland and Washington, D.C. We do not recover any fees or expenses unless we secure a judgment or settlement in your favor. Call us at (800) 654-1949 or (410) 654-3600, or contact us online for a free consultation.