It is estimated that there are around 800,000 cases of cerebral palsy in the U.S. Cerebral palsy refers to a number of neurological disorders that cause serious problems for children before, during, or immediately after birth. These problems may become more pronounced as the child’s nervous system matures. The problems associated with cerebral palsy depend upon the severity of the brain damage.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy include:

• Learning disabilities – some children may be affected by mental retardation
• Impaired speech – the muscles of the tongue and mouth can be affected and children may not be able to speak normally
• Hearing loss –partial hearing loss is not uncommon, but some children may not respond to sound at all
• Skeletal deformities – if only one side of the child is affected, their limbs may be shortened on that side. This can lead to tilting of the pelvic bone or scoliosis and may require surgery
• Seizures – around one-third of cerebral palsy victims have seizures. These may appear early or late in life
• Limited motor skills or paralysis – muscles can be stiff or relaxed, limbs may be held in strange positions, or movement can be jerky and abrupt or slow
• Trouble swallowing – victims of cerebral palsy may have trouble eating, drinking, sucking, and controlling saliva. Drooling may be a factor and aspirating is a concern due to suffocation

Your child’s chance for a fuller recovery increase the sooner cerebral palsy is detected. However, he or she may still need expensive physical therapy for the rest of their life.

If your child has cerebral palsy and you are in the New Jersey or Philadelphia metropolitan area, please contact the experienced malpractice attorneys at Weiss & Paarz P.C. for an initial case consultation.