Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: Do You Have a Case?
A cerebral palsy diagnosis can be devastating for families. One type of cerebral palsy is ataxic cerebral palsy, which affects a child’s balance and coordination. This type of cerebral palsy can cause problems in many areas of your child’s life. If the condition resulted because of a provider’s medical negligence, a Philadelphia birth injury lawyer at Raynes & Lawn might help you recover financial compensation for your losses.
What Is Ataxic Cerebral Palsy?
Ataxic cerebral palsy is a less common type of cerebral palsy that involves the loss of the child’s control over their bodily movements. If your child has ataxic cerebral palsy, their ability to maintain balance will be affected. While it is a common type of birth injury, it is less common than spastic cerebral palsy.
Ataxic cerebral palsy is caused by a brain injury to the baby’s cerebellum before, during, or immediately after birth. The cerebellum is the region of the brain that controls movement. If your baby suffered an injury to the cerebellum, they will have difficulty controlling movement and maintaining balance in the upper and lower limbs.
There are several risk factors for ataxic CP, including the following:
- Maternal infections during pregnancy
- Head trauma during labor and delivery
- Delivering multiples
- Fertility drugs
- Oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery
Ataxic cerebral palsy is often caused by medical malpractice.
Ataxic vs. Spastic Cerebral Palsy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 80% of people who have cerebral palsy have spastic CP. By contrast, ataxic cerebral palsy is much rarer.
Spastic CP is caused by an injury to the motor cortex of the brain. Children with spastic CP experience rigidity and stiffness. Those with ataxic CP have trouble controlling bodily movement, and their body might not be as rigid as it should be.
Diagnosis of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic cerebral palsy is typically not diagnosed until a child is between 18 to 24 months old. If cerebral palsy is suspected, the doctors will perform a variety of tests, including CT scans, brain scans, metabolic tests, genetic tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests. They might perform multiple tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Ataxic CP Symptoms
Your child might show the following symptoms if they have ataxic cerebral palsy, but just because they have one or more of the symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean they have the condition:
- Struggling to perform voluntary movements
- Performing incorrect movements
- Unusual acceleration of movements
- Poor balance
- Depth perception problems
- Walking with feet spread apart
- Poor muscle control
- Trouble with fine motor skills
- Speech issues
- Slow eye movements
- Trouble putting thoughts into words
- Difficulty swallowing
Treatment of Ataxic CP
After your child is diagnosed with ataxic CP, you will need to work closely with your child’s pediatrician to learn about the treatment options that will help your child the most. Early intervention can help your child achieve a better quality of life. You will likely work with a treatment team comprised of a neurologist and multiple types of therapists. While cerebral palsy can’t be cured, early intervention can improve your child’s long-term prognosis.
Some of the types of therapy and treatment your child might need will include the following:
- Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles and improve balance
- Occupational therapy to help build fine motor skills and precise movements
- Speech therapy to help address speech issues
- Recreational therapy to address any learning disabilities caused by the brain injury
Your child’s neurologist might also recommend other treatments for your child. For example, if your child has muscle tremors, the doctor might prescribe medications to control them.
Ataxic Cerebral Palsy and Medical Negligence
Ataxic cerebral palsy is often the result of medical negligence before or during labor and delivery. If your child has been diagnosed with ataxic CP, you might be entitled to pursue compensation. Since most people with cerebral palsy require ongoing care for the rest of their lives, the available compensation could be substantial. Damages might be available for all of your child’s medical expenses and therapy costs, your child’s pain and suffering, and more. A birth injury attorney can help to value your potential claim to give you a better idea of its value.
Find Birth Injury Lawyers Near Me
Infant injury law firms might accept claims involving ataxic cerebral palsy caused by medical malpractice. If you are searching for an attorney, you should speak to a Philadelphia Cerebral Palsy lawyer at Raynes & Lawn. Over our more than 50 years in practice, our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars for our clients. We are dedicated to helping the victims of medical malpractice hold the negligent medical providers accountable and recover maximal compensation for all of their losses.
Your attorney will work with a medical expert to determine whether the medical provider’s care fell below the expected standard of care and caused your child’s brain injury and resulting condition. If we agree to accept your claim, we will fully investigate your case and work to recover all of the compensation you deserve. Call us today for a free case evaluation at 1-800-535-1797.
For the general public: This Blog/Website is made available by the law firm publisher, Raynes & Lawn, for educational purposes. It provides general information and a general understanding of the law but does not provide specific legal advice. By using this site, commenting on posts, or sending inquiries through the site or contact email, you confirm that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Blog/Website publisher. The Blog/Website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.
For attorneys: This Blog/Website is informational in nature and is not a substitute for legal research or a consultation on specific matters pertaining to your clients. Due to the dynamic nature of legal doctrines, what might be accurate one day may be inaccurate the next. As such, the contents of this blog must not be relied upon as a basis for arguments to a court or for your advice to clients without, again, further research or a consultation with our professionals.