CEREBRAL PALSY UK

This condition is a group of disorders which can be characterized by impairment of movement or loss of other nerve functions causing disability. These disorders are caused by injury to the brain during foetal development and may be due to clinical negligence occurring during labour and delivery.

The classical finding of this condition is decreased muscle tone known as spasticity and in addition, there may be partial or full loss of movement, sensory abnormalities, and defects of hearing and vision. Intellectual function may range from normal to severe mental retardation.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy are usually evident before the age of three years and in severe cases may appear in the first three months after birth. The disorder often results from clinical negligence during delivery including:

• lack of oxygen to the brain due to extended period in the birth canal
• failure to recognise and treat seizures in the new born child
• inappropriate vacuum extraction or inappropriate use of delivery forceps
• delay in performing a caesarean section
• foetal heart rate changes ignored
• inadequate planning for potential large birth weight
• inadequate consideration of maternal high blood pressure or toxaemia
• failure to recognise jaundice or meningitis or certain other dangerous infections
• prolapsed umbilical cord causing oxygen deprivation to the brain

There are three main types of cerebral palsy which may also be present in a mixed form:

• Spastic CP is the most common form, affecting about four fifths of sufferers caused as a result of the muscles remaining in a constant state of increased involuntary reflex causing cause stiff and jerky movements
• Athetoid CP affects less than one fifth of patients causing uncoordinated, involuntary, purposeless movements, especially in the face, arms, and trunk.
• Ataxic CP affects less than one in ten patients and is characterised by poor muscle tone and altered sense of balance and depth perception, leading to slow, uncoordinated, unsteady and shaky movement.

Medical negligence is behaviour which falls below the standard of a reasonably competent doctor in the relevant field of medicine. If there are a number of logical acceptable alternatives there may be no negligence even if the alternative method fails.

You deserve to know if your child’s condition is due to negligent care and you have the right to investigate its cause and to know what options you have. Our solicitors have mastered the intricacies of this extremely important area of law and are able to help you find out if your health care provider has been negligent. You deserve answers to your questions and to know what options you have in order to preserve your childs legal right to compensation.

We are a national network of independent medical negligence solicitors. Legal Aid is available however less than 1% of UK solicitors are approved by the Legal Aid Board. We are all members of The Law Society panel of medical negligence experts and we are franchised to make an immediate application for legal aid. Almost all children will qualify for legal aid as it is the childs income, if any, that is taken into account by the Legal Aid Board. No consideration is given to the parents income or assets. If you would like free advice direct from a specialist solicitor with no further obligation just complete the contact form and a clinical law expert will contact you as soon as possible.