Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a permanent, life-long, physical disability that affects movement. It occurs because of damage to the developing brain either during pregnancy, labour or shortly after birth. Approximately 1 in 500 live births result in cerebral palsy. It is the most common form of childhood physical disability and affects approximately 34,000 Australians.

There are different categories of Cerebral Palsy and the main types are:

• Spastic CP – meaning stiffness of tightness of the muscles. This is the most common type of cerebral palsy
• Athetoid CP – where there is a lack of control over the body’s movements
• Ataxic CP – a term used to describe a lack of balance or co-ordination.
• Mixed Type CP – where more than one motor pattern is present

Our medical negligence lawyers can investigate whether:

• your labour and delivery were managed appropriately
• steps were taken to deliver your baby in a timely and/or acceptable manner –
• risk factors for the development of cerebral palsy were appropriately identified and managed during pregnancy and labour

Cerebral palsy is not always the result of poor obstetric management. There are other causes. Specialist medical lawyers know and understand the types of scenarios that should be investigated for a claim in negligence.