According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the United Cerebral Palsy group (UCP):
- About 800,000 Americans are currently living with cerebral palsy
- One in every 278 infants is born with cerebral palsy
- Approximately 66 percent of cerebral palsy patients will suffer from some degree of mental retardation
- Nearly 40 percent of all cerebral palsy cases are severe
- The estimated lifetime costs of cerebral palsy treatments is $500,000
- About 70 percent of patients are born with cerebral palsy
- 20 percent of persons with cerebral palsy develop the condition during birth
- 10 percent of individuals living with cerebral palsy developed the condition after birth
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy refers to an irreversible neurological disorder in which brain damage causes an individual to suffer from symptoms that may include:
- abnormally toned muscles
- an inability to perform precise actions, such as writing
- difficulty speaking and swallowing
- impaired motor control
- mental retardation
- problems walking and coordinating movement
- seizures and tremors
- spasticity
- vision and hearing problems
Cerebral Palsy Facts
- There are four types of cerebral palsy: spastic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy
- Between 70 and 80 percent of cerebral palsy cases are spastic
- Risk factors for cerebral palsy include premature birth, low birth weight, breech birth, multiple births and/or exposure to toxic substances
- In most cases, cerebral palsy is diagnosed between the ages of 9 months and 3 years old
- In the mildest cases when symptoms are particularly subtle, cerebral palsy may not be diagnosed until a patient reaches the age of 5 years old
- To confirm a case of cerebral palsy, doctors will perform MRIs, cranial ultrasounds, blood tests and tests to check the brain's electrical activity
- Medical mistakes – including failure to treat infections, failure to perform emergency C-sections and improper use of forceps – can cause the brain damage associated with cerebral palsy.
- Due to medical malpractice, more than 1,100 cerebral palsy patients won personal injury settlements last year
To learn more about rates and statistics regarding cerebral palsy, contact our cerebral palsy attorneys today.
