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Cerebral Palsy Facts

If your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you know the devastation of realizing that your little one will face a life of health challenges and disability.  Cerebral palsy is defined by Wikipedia.com as “is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, motor, non-contagious conditions that cause physical disability in human development.”

Cerebral palsy affects approximately 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children.  Some of the other cerebral palsy facts include the following:

• Nearly 10,000 infants will develop cerebral palsy every year in the United States.
• It has been estimated that 800,000 people suffer from cerebral palsy in the United States.
• The average cost of cerebral palsy is almost $1 million over the lifetime of the person affected.
• Approximately two-thirds of children who have cerebral palsy are mentally impaired.
• Out of the 1000 infants born, approximately 2 to 3 will suffer brachial plexus birth injuries.

Cerebral palsy is often caused by a birth injury that results in brain damage.  The injury may have occurred during the birth process from a prolonged labor, which may cause oxygen deprivation.  Fever during pregnancy has also been linked to cerebral palsy among infants. There have even been cases of cerebral palsy caused from the negligence of the doctor, hospital or nursing staff.  In those cases, they can be held liable for medical malpractice.

Contact a Kentucky birth injury lawyer at the Law Office of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson at (859) 578-4444 or (888) 606-5297 for legal advice.