Louisville Cerebral Palsy Attorney

Representing Victims of Medical Malpractice in Kentucky

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy Lawyer in Louisville

Athetoid cerebral palsy, also known as athetosis, dyskinetic cerebral palsy, and dyskinesia, is a form of cerebral palsy (CP) that causes involuntary or abnormal movements. Occurring in roughly 10% of cases of children with CP, athetoid cerebral palsy can cause uncontrollable fluctuations between high muscle tension, or “hypertonia,” and low muscle tension, known as “hypotonia.” As such, children with athetoid cerebral palsy have difficulty controlling movements in their limbs.

Like other types of cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy can sometimes be caused by the negligence of doctors and nurses during a baby’s delivery or prenatal care. If you believe your infant developed athetoid cerebral palsy due to a doctor’s carelessness, our Louisville cerebral palsy lawyers at Brett H. Oppenheimer, PLLC can fight for your child’s rights and pursue fair financial recovery on your family’s behalf.

Call (502) 242-8877 or schedule a no-cost consultation today to discover your legal options.

What Are the Causes of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy?

Athetoid cerebral palsy is primarily associated with damage to the basal ganglia or cerebellum during brain development or brain injury. The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei located in the brain’s cerebral cortex that are responsible for coordinating voluntary movement, motor function, and the regulation of thinking and learning. Children with athetoid cerebral palsy can also experience other difficulties, such as drooling or difficulty swallowing. Risk factors include premature birth, infantile jaundice, and blood clots.

Damage to these regions of the brain can be caused by numerous factors, including:

• Infections in the mother or unborn fetus
• Trauma to the fetus’ developing brain
• Lack of oxygen supply to the brain

What Are the Signs of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy?

Parents typically begin observing signs of athetoid cerebral palsy when their children reach nine months of age or older. Jerky or involuntary movements in infants younger than this age may be indicative of slow development, but is generally not associated with a deeper medical issue.

If your child displays any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately:

• Does not kick legs
• Slow, writing movements
• Difficulty holding posture
• Seems stiff or rigid
• Appears limp
• Cannot hold up head at three months old
• Does not reach for objects
• Does not smile by three months old
• Does not roll over

While debilitating, athetoid cerebral palsy can be treated to help children cope with their disability and grow up to live healthy, independent lives. Depending on the severity of your child’s condition, a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medication, and possible surgery may be required as treatment.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy Attorney in Louisville

Ataxia is one of the rarest forms of cerebral palsy (CP), characterized by clumsy, imprecise, or unstable movements. It is estimated that fewer than one in ten people with CP have its ataxic form. Believed to be caused by damage to the cerebellum during a fetus’ development, ataxic cerebral palsy can severely limit an affected person’s depth perception and ability to balance.

While many instances of ataxic cerebral palsy are unpreventable birth defects, some cases are caused by some form of medical malpractice during prenatal care or delivery. If you believe your child developed ataxia due to a doctor or nurse’s negligence, our Louisville cerebral palsy lawyers at Brett H. Oppenheimer, PLLC can assert your rights and pursue maximum compensation on your behalf.

Why choose our world-class advocate? Just consider the following:

• More than $100 million recovered in verdicts and settlements
• A+ Accreditation by the Better Business Bureau
• The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 ranking
• Highly praised by past clients

Schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today to get started towards filing a claim.

Causes of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Like other forms of cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage during infancy. Infections occurring in either a mother or her unborn baby and exposure to certain toxins can prevent a fetus’ brain from developing properly, especially during the first two trimesters of pregnancy.

Ataxia is believed to be caused by the following:

• Lesions in the brain’s white matter
• Fetal strokes or bleeding in the brain
• High blood pressure during pregnancy
• Maternal viral infections
• Oxygen deprivation during delivery

While some forms of CP can show symptoms and be diagnosed at birth, ataxic cerebral palsy is most often diagnosed when a child is between 3 and 18 months old. For this reason, it is imperative parents schedule regular checkups with a pediatrician to identify and treat any developmental issues promptly.

Symptoms of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Ataxia can affect nearly any part of the body and limit movements needed for numerous day-to-day activities. Ataxia can affect the arms, legs, hands, and fingers, as well as the muscles needed for speech, eye movements, and swallowing.

The following symptoms are characteristic of ataxia:

• Shakiness and tremors
• Difficulty handwriting or using cutlery
• Walking with a wide-base gait
• Unusual accelerations or pauses when speaking
• Overshooting or underestimating eye movements

Apgar Scores And Link To Cerebral Palsy

The APGAR test evaluates the health of a newborn baby after labor and delivery. The test was originally developed by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1952. It is given to nearly all children born in the United States and is also used world-wide. The APGAR TEST is performed by an obstetrician, nurse or midwife one minute after the baby’s birth and then again five minutes after birth.

APGAR, which is an acronym, measures:

• Appearance - skin color
• Pulse – heart rate measured by stethoscope
• Grimace – response to stimulation (reflexes)
• Activity – muscle tone
• Respiration – breathing effort

The baby is given a score of 0, 1 or 2 based on the doctor, nurse or other medical professional’s observation for each category with a best possible total score of 10. Generally, an infant with a score less than 7 will require some medical attention. A low score will often indicate that the newborn baby suffered some distress during labor and delivery. For example, if a fetus is deprived of oxygen during the birthing process, the baby may have suffered hypoxia. Hypoxia can affect any or all of the APGAR measurements and will require that the baby receive further medical treatment.

The British Medical Journal in 2010 cites a Norwegian study of 500,000 babies born between 1986 and 1995. The study found that about 11% of newborns with an APGAR score less than 3 were later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Comparatively, babies with a score of 10 had a .1% rate of a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis. Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that affects the muscular and nervous systems of developing children. Generally, Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed in the first three years of life. The study suggests that the causes of Cerebral Palsy may be strongly associated with low APGAR scores.

Medical professionals can and should take measures to timely deliver a fetus (baby) during a traumatic birth, monitor the fetus and the mother during labor and delivery, use delivery room equipment properly and provide follow up care to babies suffering difficult births to reduce the chance of a child suffering birth injuries. Low APGAR scores may be linked to trauma that the newborn suffers just prior to or during the birth process.

If you feel that medical negligence may have put your baby’s health at risk during labor and delivery, please contact attorney Brett H. Oppenheimer. Brett is a Kentucky cerebral palsy attorney who can address your concerns by exploring your baby’s medical history, including medical records, pregnancy, labor and delivery charts Fetal Heart Monitor strips (FHM strips) and APGAR scores to determine if there was a failure to meet the required standard of medical care.

You can call Brett at (502) 242-8877 to schedule a free consultation.