March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. This non-progressive condition affects a lot of families in the UK, and worldwide, and impacts the whole family.
No two people experience cerebral palsy in the same way. Some cannot walk while others can run, some may be able to talk for England, others will find communicating difficult.
Each affected individual will face their own unique challenges. CP occurs when the brain suffers an injury before, during or soon after birth interfering with the messages between the brain and the body making movement and muscle co-ordination difficult.
Recognising the symptoms of cerebral palsy isn’t always obvious until a child reaches the age of two or three and may include some of the following symptoms:
· Missing developmental milestones
· Body is too stiff / too floppy
· Weak arms or legs
· Fidgety or clumsy
· Random, uncontrollable movements
· Walking on tiptoes
· Problems with speech, vision or learning
The time before, during and shortly after birth is critical. If mother and baby are not carefully monitored during this time, cerebral palsy can occur if the baby’s brain suffers a bleed or deprivation of oxygen, if an infection is caught during pregnancy and is not appropriately treated, and if meningitis or a serious head injury is suffered during this sensitive period.
A small number of CP cases are caused by avoidable medical negligence. This can happen if one of the following medical errors take place:
· Giving the wrong medication
· Inadequate monitoring of the baby
· No response or non-timely response to changes in foetal statistics or signs of distress
· Failure to carry out appropriate tests
· Deprivation of oxygen
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition with no cure and we understand that living with CP has an impact on the whole family. We specialise in working with families affected by CP and understand the impact that this has both now, and in the future.
We understand the specialist needs from finding and funding the right therapies, to buying the right equipment and making necessary home adaptations to make life easier.
Compensation can be sought if your child’s CP has been caused as a result of avoidable medical negligence. We have a strong track record of securing significant settlements to help families living with cerebral palsy get the support they need and cover the costs of the following:
· Future medical care
· Therapies including speech, language, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy
· Home adaptations
· Equipment such as sensory equipment or wheelchairs
· Carers and other special arrangements
If you believe that your child has cerebral palsy due to avoidable medical negligence, contact a member of our specialist cerebral palsy medical negligence team for a free initial consultation on 01253 766 559.
Read more about the families that we have helped here.
