Ataxic cerebral palsy is the rarest form of cerebral palsy. Less than one percent of cerebral palsy patients have this form of the disease. It is characterized by:
While this type of cerebral palsy may be less disabling than other forms of the disease, it still has a major effect on its sufferers’ lives. If your baby is diagnosed with ataxic cerebral palsy, contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC for help. You might be eligible for financial compensation to help pay for the life long treatment your child will need.
Speak with a qualified cerebral palsy lawyer about your case.
Because coordination is a problem, some of these patients must walk with their legs wide apart. They have difficulty making fast movements or precise movements. Putting a key in a door might be a problem.
Sometimes patients with ataxic cerebral palsy have something termed an intention tremor. When they are trying to reach for an object, the closer they get, the more their hands shake.
While ataxic cerebral palsy may be associated with mental retardation, most patients have normal intelligence. As in all types of cerebral palsy, vision and hearing may be compromised.
Ataxic cerebral palsy, like all other forms of the disease, is caused by damage to the fetal or newborn brain or by abnormal growth of the brain. During the first two trimesters of the mother’s pregnancy, the developing brain of the fetus is especially susceptible to any type of injury or damage.
This disease can be a result of what are called periventricular leukomalacias or tiny holes in the white matter of the brain. Because it is the white matter that transmits signals to the entire nervous system as well as within the brain, damage to this area affects the whole body.
Either bleeding or blood clots in the fetal brain may cause serious brain damage. In the pregnant mother, high or low blood pressure, infection, a torn uterus or placenta may cause damage to the unborn child’s brain. If the babies umbilical cord is compromised during labor and delivery, this may reduce the amount of oxygen going to the fetus’ brain and lead to brain damage.
Complications of ataxic cerebral palsy may include:
If you have had a child born with cerebral palsy, you may contact an experienced cerebral palsy attorney to determine if your baby’s particular situation warrants a lawsuit. A financial recovery will not reverse the condition, but it can help ensure your child receives the best treatments available. Call to schedule a consultation with an experienced Connecticut ataxic cerebral palsy lawyer.
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