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more_legal_areas cerebral_palsyA cerebral palsy diagnosis is made by a medical doctor by evaluating a young child’s medical history, performing motor skills and other diagnostic tests, and conducting routine check-ups to rule out other possibilities and confirm that a patient has cerebral palsy. A cerebral palsy diagnosis can be made as soon as a patient begins to develop signs of this condition. It may take longer to make a cerebral palsy diagnosis when a patient is asymptomatic or the signs are difficult to evaluate.
A patient can be evaluated for a possible cerebral palsy diagnosis for a number of reasons. Cerebral palsy is a broad term used to describe brain damage caused during pregnancy, childbirth, or the first few years of life that results in motor impairment and other damages. There are a number of signs and events that can occur during pregnancy or child birth which may make a cerebral palsy diagnosis more likely. Maternal or infant injury, illness, or other complications during pregnancy may increase a child’s risk of developing cerebral palsy. A difficult, forced, or otherwise complicated child birth process can also indicate that a cerebral palsy diagnosis is to follow.
There are several signs and symptoms that a child can display in the first months of life that may prompt a medical evaluation for a possible cerebral palsy diagnosis. Early signs that may illicit a cerebral palsy diagnosis include: hypotonia or unusually soft, flabby, or relaxed muscle tone, the persistence of infantile reflexes after the point at which they typically disappear, abnormally early development of hand preference, unusual posture or favoring one side of the body, lack of alertness, abnormal fussiness or irritability, poor feeding abilities, seizures, and trembling limbs. Cerebral palsy may be suspected when an infant fails to reach developmental milestones- such as holding head up, sitting, crawling, and the like- at the time most children master these tasks.
When early risk factors or abnormal symptoms are present, a young child should be evaluated to confirm or rule out a cerebral palsy diagnosis. There are several diagnostic tests that a doctor can perform to help make or rule out a cerebral palsy diagnosis. There are a number of imaging (CT scan, MRI, and ultrasound), laboratory (thyroid, ammonia-blood, and chromosome analysis), and differential (EEG, and NCV) medical tests that can be performed to help a doctor make a cerebral palsy diagnosis. Developmental and motor skills testing can also illicit a cerebral palsy diagnosis, in conjunction with related evaluation tools.
A cerebral palsy diagnosis is a complex diagnosis which is made only after a variety of tests have been conducted over a period of time. The reason for a doctor’s reticence in making a cerebral palsy diagnosis is that a child’s developmental progress is a unique event that also includes the ability to heal from some early brain injuries. A doctor should be confident when making a cerebral palsy diagnosis after taking the necessary measures to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate.
If you or a loved one has received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, you may have many unanswered questions. When another party may have been responsible for a child’s development of cerebral palsy, they may wish to explore their legal rights and options with a qualified and experienced attorney.
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