Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Symptoms of Athetoid Dyskenetic Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a term that describes brain damage or abnormalities in the brain that disrupt nerve signals to the limbs and spinal cord. Medical experts have divided cerebral palsy into several primary sub-types, such as spastic cerebral palsy and athetoid dyskenetic cerebral palsy. Both of these types of cerebral palsy can be debilitating and require a lifetime of special care and treatment.

Persons with athetoid dyskenetic cerebral palsy may experience the following symptoms:

• Slow, involuntary movement in the limbs
• Uncontrolled movement in the face and other parts of the body

Gross motor skills, such as walking or sitting straight are often difficult for persons with this form of cerebral palsy. Additionally, everyday tasks such as holding an object may be impossible, including brushing hair, eating without assistance, etc. In infants, developmental delays are a common indicator of athetoid cerebral palsy. This includes difficulty crawling, sitting up, or reaching for toys. In many cases, doctors diagnose children with athetoid cerebral palsy within 18 months of birth.

Athetoid cerebral palsy can be further broken down into additional categories. These include:

• Dystonia - Rotational motion of a ligament
• Chorea - Sudden and involuntary jerk motions
• Athetosis - Sluggish movements, especially in the fingers and face
• Ataxia - Lack of balance and/or coordination
• Dyskinesia - General involuntary movements
• Rigidity - Extensive amount of muscle tone from hypertonia

What Causes Athetoid Cerebral Palsy?

Brain damage causes cerebral palsy, and the location and extent of this damage determines the type of cerebral palsy. In many cases, athetoid cerebral palsy occurs when the basal ganglia or cerebellum in the brain sustains hypoxic or anoxic damage during birth or shortly after (i.e., due to a lack of oxygen). Brain damage during labor and delivery may be the result of a doctor’s or Hospital’s negligence, such as failure to detect lack of oxygen and deliver in time by cesarean section.

When to Contact a Chicago Athetoid Cerebral Palsy Attorney

At Beam Legal Team, our Chicago cerebral palsy lawyers are committed to helping children with cerebral palsy and their families seek the money they need. If you suspect that a negligent doctor or other medical professional is responsible for your child’s condition, now is the time to speak with a lawyer. We’ve helped our clients secured over one billion dollars in successful verdicts and settlements.

To start your case, speak with a member of our legal team today.