Types of Cerebral Palsy in Infants and Children

Cerebral palsy often occurs as a result of birth injury: lack of oxygen to the brain, head trauma during childbirth, or infections before and after birth, often as a result of negligence on the part of a medical professional. If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy due to physician negligence, you may have the right to file a claim--and the type of cerebral palsy suffered by your child matters. Let’s take a look at types of cerebral palsy in infants and children. The Brooklyn, NY, firm of Zucker & Regev, P.C. can provide you with a cerebral palsy lawyer who can help you collect the compensation you and your family need and deserve.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy can be classified according to severity level, where the disability is located on your child's body, how it impacts motor function, and other factors. Take a look at the key types of cerebral palsy and their effects.

Ataxic

Ataxic cerebral palsy is characterized by difficulty with coordinated movements. It can impact your child's balance, posture, and walking gait. In addition, your child may struggle substantially with many fine motor skills, including writing, eating, and typing. This type of cerebral palsy does not cause involuntary movements. 

Dyskinetic

Dyskinetic cerebral palsy causes involuntary movements. This type of cerebral palsy can create different types of movements based on the part of the body affected and how those movements occur: slow, writhing movements; irregular, unpredictable movements; or jerky, shaky movements. Your child may show one or many types of movement depending on the impact on the body.

Spastic

Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by stiff muscles, increased muscle tone, and jerky movements. It creates a great deal of stress on the body that can lead to a variety of other conditions, including painful joint dislocation and scoliosis. There are three categories of spastic cerebral palsy:

Hemiplegia

In cases of hemiplegia cerebral palsy, only the arm and leg on one side of the body are impacted.

Diplegia

In most cases of diplegia, the lower body suffers stiffness or weakness affecting both legs. Less commonly, it can affect the upper body.

Quadriplegia

Quadriplegia impacts all four limbs.

Mixed

Mixed cerebral palsy involves suffering from symptoms of multiple types of cerebral palsy.

Why the Type Is Important

Your child's doctors will identify the type of cerebral palsy your child has in order to determine the best course of treatment. By identifying the type of cerebral palsy, you can look for physical therapy, assistive devices, and modifications that can improve your child's overall quality of life. If you need to file a birth injury claim against the physician that caused your child's injuries, the type of cerebral palsy makes a significant difference. The more severe your child's cerebral palsy, and the greater the limitations your child and your family may face as a result of those challenges, the more compensation you will need in order to cope with these effects. Our attorneys will calculate the financial losses as well as the pain and suffering cerebral palsy is causing now and for the rest of your child’s life. They will then pursue that amount from the responsible party, either through a settlement or a lawsuit.

Contact Our Law Firm

If you need to know more about how a birth injury lawsuit could help your family cope with your child's injuries, contact us today. Call Zucker & Regev, P.C. at (718) 624-1211 or contact us online.