Common Sign and Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

Pregnancy is a magical time, followed by an even more magical moment of giving birth. One of the most important wishes of every parent is to give birth to a healthy child. Unfortunately, this wish does not always come true. Not all babies are born healthy. Some come into this world with serious impairments and disabilities.

While some of these impairments come about as a result of no one’s wrongdoing and cannot be prevented whatsoever, other complications are caused by the shortcomings of the mother’s healthcare team during the course of pregnancy and birthing. In other words, these latter types of complications are often caused as a result of the healthcare team’s negligence or recklessness.

One such serious type of birth injury is cerebral palsy.

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is generally associated with impairment in body movement, posture, coordination, and muscle tone. Cerebral palsy is caused by complications during the delivery and labor process. Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy can become apparent soon after birth. Some common symptoms that you may notice immediately following birth that may indicate your child is suffering from cerebral palsy may include:

• Problems with sucking and swallowing
• A weak cry
• Suffering from seizures

These early symptoms should prompt your doctor to conduct a number of investigations and tests, resulting in a complete diagnosis that may not come for months later.

Other symptoms that may become apparent months after birth, indicating cerebral palsy include:

• Your child failing to:
  • Sit up
  • Hold his or her head up
  • Turn over
• Failure to meet many of the developmental milestones for his or her age
• Unusual stiffness, sloppiness, or weakness in the muscle tone
• Learning disability
• Impaired gross motor coordination and fine motor function
• Loss of balance and control
• Slower reflexes
• Speech impairments

If you notice any of these symptoms or any other signs, such as excess drooling (which may indicate impairment of facial and throat muscles) and affected movement in the arms and legs, you should definitely inform your doctor as soon as possible.

Protect Your Legal Rights

If your child has suffered cerebral palsy as a result of a birthing complication, you need to immediately consult with an Orange County birth injury attorney to determine if you have a valid legal claim.Although filing a lawsuit will not undue the harm done, it will help you seek the financial means to provide a better life for your child and even bring a sense of justice and closure.

Call an Experienced Orange County Birth Injury Attorney

The legal team at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas is dedicated to helping our birth injury clients who have suffered serious injuries reach the best monetary settlements.

If you or a loved one has any questions about your birth injury claim, our experienced Orange County birth injury attorneys are available to personally review your case. Call us at 1-888-848-5048 to schedule a free, complimentary consultation with our legal team today.