Expert Advice When You Need It Most

Types of Cerebral Palsy Birth Injury: Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Written by: R. Michael Bomberger

Reputation Level 14

Birth Injury Personal Injury

Posted over 2 years ago. 2 helpful votes, 0 comments

Save

Share with:

Causes of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

The term “ataxic” refers to loss of muscle coordination in the limbs. Damage to the cerebellum, the body’s control center for balance and coordination, causes ataxic cerebral palsy. Some ataxic cerebral palsy cases are caused by medical negligence or malpractice of doctors or hospital staff before or during birth. A head injury to the fetus or newborn can also cause ataxic cerebral palsy. Injury may occur during pregnancy, during delivery, or shortly after delivery. Severe, untreated jaundice in infants may also lead to ataxic cerebral palsy. Fetal brain damage can occur if the baby is oxygen deprived for any length of time. Babies typically do not show symptoms right away; ataxic cerebral palsy is usually not diagnosed until the child is between three and 18 months old.

Characteristics of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Children with ataxic cerebral palsy tend to look shaky or unsteady, due to coordination problems and low muscle tone. Tremor is the most significant characteristic of ataxic cerebral palsy. An “intention tremor” may occur when a person is deliberately reaching for something. The tremor tends to get worse as the hand gets closer to the object they are reaching out to touch. Other symptoms and characteristics include balance problems, poor muscle tone, lack of coordination, difficulty walking, difficulty writing, difficulty controlling movements, and vision or hearing impairments.

Treatment of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

It is important to note that there is no cure for the symptoms of ataxic cerebral palsy. However, some treatments may be effective for relieving and reducing the effects of ataxic cerebral palsy. Physical therapy is used to treat almost all forms of cerebral palsy. There is always the risk that certain muscles may not get used sufficiently, leading to atrophy or rigid muscles that can deform the bone. With ataxic cerebral palsy, this risk is much lower than other spastic forms of cerebral palsy.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy Legal Resources

Many medical malpractice and medical negligence claims are filed each year for otherwise healthy babies born with serious disability due to birth injuries that cause cerebral palsy. Treatment and care costs for babies born with cerebral palsy can be financially debilitating. If you are a parent of a child born with cerebral palsy, you could be entitled to compensation if the condition was caused by medical error. Proving medical negligence or malpractice is complex and may not be easy – look for an attorney with experience and proven results handling cerebral palsy birth injury cases.