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Quadriplegia refers to loss of sensation and mobility in both the upper and lower body, usually due to a spinal cord injury or illness. Spastic quadriplegia occurs when all four limbs are affected with increased tone, decreased movements and brisk reflexes. It is also often associated with mental retardation, visual problems and hearing impairment.
Complications of spastic quadriplegia include dysfunction of the muscles of the mouth and tongue, seizures, increased risk for cognitive difficulties, bowel and bladder dysfunction, scoliosis, hip dislocation, tooth decay and skin sores.
Spastic quadriplegia is most often associated with cerebral palsy, a condition in which faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain impairs the body''s ability to control movement and posture. Cerebral palsy is neither contagious nor inherited, but it does have several known causes, most of which occur during pregnancy or birth.
Between 10 and 20 percent of all cases of cerebral palsy occur after birth, typically from brain damage sustained in the first few months or years of life. This brain damage can be the result of brain infections, such as meningitis or encephalitis, or head trauma from a fall, accident or inflicted injury (shaken baby syndrome).
Up to 43 percent of cerebral palsy cases result in spastic quadriplegia. Most likely, spastic quadriplegia is the result of infections or complications during pregnancy or birth. Spastic quadriplegia occurs when there is deprivation of oxygen (asphyxia) to the brain during labor and/or delivery. When this birth asphyxia is severe or occurs for a lengthy period of time, it can result in brain damage called hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, which causes infant death or paralysis.
Spastic quadriplegia can often be the result of mistakes made by doctors during the birthing process or can be caused by conditions that were present during pregnancy but were left untreated. A lawyer will be able to help you determine if malpractice is involved in your case.
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