Types and symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

oxygen to the brain during childbirth can result in cerebral palsy involving all four limbs known as quadriplegic cerebral palsy, with a generalised rigidity of muscular tone or spasticity. These children usually also have severe learning difficulties, epilepsy and related problems which are permanent and need extensive care. They will often have other special needs and a reduced life expectation.

Spastic cerebral palsy is the commonest form of cerebral palsy and affects the body's ability to relax muscles causing rigidity. Control of movement will therefore be poor. The condition will often result from a prolonged partial deprivation of oxygen prior to delivery. Often the child will have severe learning disabilities and a reduced life expectancy as well. The child will probably have had fits (convulsions) as a newborn and the appearance of the injury will be evident on MRI scanning of the brain.

Children who have suffered a short but acute deprivation of oxygen before delivery might acquire dyskinetic cerebral palsy or athetoid cerebral palsy. People with athetoid cerebral palsy will tend to make unintended movements, sometimes writhing in appearance and will have some loss of control over posture. Often such a child will have a severe physical disability (caused by damage to the brain's basal ganglia the deep grey matter) but with a preserved intelligence and comprehension. Fitting might not have taken place or might have been much less pronounced at and after birth. Life expectancy can be near normal. Again damage can be seen on MRI scanning.

People with ataxic cerebral palsy caused by birth injury might have more subtle symptoms often associated with problems of balance, speech and perhaps shaky hand movements.

Children with hemiplegia (damage to one side of the brain only) are less likely to have acquired their injury as a result of oxygen starvation at birth although there is a recognised association. With diplegia, (where the injury affects the lower limbs more than the upper or visa versa) they might have done if there is clear evidence of the child's distress prior to and after birth.

The most usual consequence of oxygen starvation before birth is the widespread swelling of the brain called hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy. This is a recognised condition with a number of features usually comprising seizures, disordered muscular tone, and on a lesser scale, poor feeding and irritability. The condition can cause the cessation of breathing, deepening coma and even death.

We encourage all parents of children with cerebral palsy and other birth injuries to have their cases professionally investigated where we feel the condition results from medical negligence. We consider it a birth right of the child, provided of course, the parents wish to do so.

We can screen cases very quickly over the phone and routinely do so for many families every month. Either Adrian Desmond or Susan Brown would be happy to take your call.