Spastic Diplegia
Spastic Cerebral Palsy
If muscle tone is too high or too tight, the term Spastic is used to describe the type of cerebral palsy. Children with spastic CP have stiff and jerky movements because their muscles are too tight. They often have a hard time moving from one position to another or letting go of something in their hand. This is the most common type of CP. About half of all people with CP have spastic CP. Diplegia Patients have more injury to the lower extremity than the upper extremity.
Spastic cerebral palsy: In this form of cerebral palsy, which affects 70 to 80 percent of patients, the muscles are stiffly and permanently contracted. Doctors will often describe which type of spastic cerebral palsy a patient has based on which limbs are affected. The name given to these types combine a Latin description of affected limbs with the term "plegia" or "paresis," meaning paralyzed or weak.
When both legs are affected by spasticity, they may turn in and cross at the knees. This abnormal leg posture, called scissoring, can interfere with walking.
Individuals with spastic hemiparesis may also experience hemiparetic tremors, in which uncontrollable shaking affects the limbs on one side of the body. If these tremors are severe, they can seriously impair movement.
Cerebral Palsy can be caused my mistakes made in the birthing process. Sometimes those mistake occur when the labor itself is mismanaged and danger signs are not caught by the doctors or nurses. Other times the injury can occur earlier in the pregnancy. Both situations may be the result of medical malpractice.
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See Also:
Burke & Eisner Law Blogs
Cerebral Palsy Law Blog
