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What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for any non-progressive condition caused by an abnormality in the brain affecting movement, posture and co-ordination occurring during pregnancy, birth or early childhood.

It has been defined as “a persistent (but not unchanging) disorder of movement and posture, as a result of one or more non-progressive abnormalities in the brain, before its growth and development are complete..”

Cerebral palsy affects the signals that are sent from the brain to the muscles and can affect people in many different ways. There are four types of cerebral palsy and the effects can vary greatly from mild to severe. Often people will have a combination of two (and sometimes more) types of cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy affects each person differently and no two will have precisely the same problems.

The incidence rate of cerebral palsy is currently estimated at around 1 in 400 and is perhaps more common than most people would assume. Around 1900 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year in the UK.

Cerebral palsy is associated with a number of other conditions such as epilepsy.

What are the different types of Cerebral Palsy?

There are four types of cerebral palsy:

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Athetoid (or Dyskinetic) Cerebral Palsy

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Mixed Cerebral Palsy

What are the causes of Cerebral Palsy?

There are many causes of cerebral palsy such as:
Genetic abnormality
Infection during pregnancy
Trauma during pregnancy
Prematurity
Difficult birth

Most cerebral palsy claims relate to cerebral palsy caused during the delivery or neonatal period.

Cerebral palsy caused at the time of birth is usually a result of a hypoxic (lack of oxygen) injury. Many claims relate to a failure on the obstetric of midwifery staff to act on signs of fetal distress resulting in a lack of oxygen to the baby.

It is therefore imperative that signs of fetal distress are identified promptly and acted on. Failure to do so may result in a cerebral palsy compensation claim.

Our Solicitors have specialised in cerebral palsy litigation for many years. They are widely considered to be the leaders in the field and have successfully recovered many millions of pounds on behalf of children with cerebral palsy caused by negligent medical treatment.

If you have concerns in relation to medical treatment received by you or your child, contact us today to discuss them with a specialist cerebral palsy Solicitor.