Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy

Can cerebral palsy affect my child’s lifespan?

Life expectancy represents the average lifespan of a group of people. Cerebral palsy can impact a person’s lifespan depending on the severity of their diagnosis and their access to high-quality medical care and therapy. For people with milder cases of cerebral palsy, life expectancy may be completely normal or near normal. However, more severe cases of cerebral palsy can impact life expectancy and quality.

As a parent, it’s easy to be wrought with anxiety when thinking about the future for your child and cerebral palsy life expectancy. However, it’s important to remember that each case of cerebral palsy is different, and there are resources that can help you provide your child with the care and support they need.

Do you have questions about your child’s birth and diagnosis?

Our cerebral palsy lawyers are here to talk to you about your potential case – absolutely free.

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How Does Cerebral Palsy Affect Life Expectancy?

The following health complications associated with cerebral palsy can influence life expectancy:

Immobility
Severe muscular disability
Weak immune system
Difficulty swallowing

Proper medical care and support can help reduce the impact of these complications on the quality of life and life expectancy for children with cerebral palsy.

The most severely affected groups of people with cerebral palsy are those who are unable to lift their heads and must feed through a tube. Sadly, their life expectancy has been estimated to be shorter, especially without quality medical care and close monitoring by trained professionals.

However, even in cases where a prognosis is severe, the outlook can be greatly improved with appropriate interventions and medical care.

What Can Be Done to Improve Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy?

Quality of life in people with cerebral palsy can be dramatically improved with medical care, treatments and therapies. Some important things to consider include:

Mobility

Research shows that leading a sedentary lifestyle can increase an individual’s risk of developing a number of life-threatening conditions. Access to regular therapies, including physical therapy can help children with cerebral palsy be more active and have greater overall body function. Physical therapy not only improves quality of life, but may also positively affect life expectancy.

Mobility may also be improved through other inventions such as the following:

Selective dorsal rhizotomy surgery
Assistive technology
Baclofen pump
Recreational therapy and adaptive sports
Hippotherapy and Equine therapy
Occupational therapy
And other treatments and therapies for cerebral palsy.

Feeding safety and nutrition

Many people with cerebral palsy have oromotor dysfunction, which is difficulty using the lips, tongue, and jaw. This increases the risk of aspiration (i.e. breathing in food) and subsequent aspiration pneumonia, which can be fatal. For this reason, children may need to eat soft foods only, or be fed through a tube.

Caregivers must ensure that children who struggle to eat or are tube fed are getting adequate nutrition. Doctors should carefully monitor their weight to make sure it stays within a healthy range.

Treatment of seizures

Seizures are common in children with cerebral palsy, and can be life-threatening. There are a variety of treatments that can help to control seizures, and consequently may improve quality of life and lifespan for cerebral palsy children. These include:

Dietary therapy (e.g. the ketogenic diet)
Anti-seizure/anticonvulsant medications
Brain surgery: This may involve removing a small part or an entire lobe of the brain, depending on how intense the seizures are and what is causing them.
Electrical/vagus nerve stimulation: A device called a vagus nerve stimulator can be implanted in the chest. It sends signals to the brain, through the vagus nerve in the neck, to help control seizures.

These are just a few examples of treatments and therapies for people with cerebral palsy, and is in no way meant to be a complete list. It’s important to remember that advancements in research, medication, and medical care may provide more options in the future.

Was your child’s cerebral palsy preventable?

Unfortunately, there are cases where a child’s cerebral palsy could have been prevented. Medical malpractice or negligence can cause an injury at birth which can lead to cerebral palsy. Specifically, injury to the part of a baby’s brain that controls their movement typically can cause the group of motor disorders known as cerebral palsy. However, a birth injury can also cause additional damage that leads to intellectual, developmental, vision, hearing, or other disabilities.

Sadly, not many parents are told that their child suffered from a birth injury until they ask questions about their child’s birth. Cerebral palsy is one of many conditions that can occur as a result of a birth injury.

Parents deserve to know if their medical team made an error or mistake that injured their baby. If you suspect that medical malpractice may be the cause of your child’s cerebral palsy, please know that you may have legal options and support groups available to help you. While a birth injury can be devastating, there is nothing shameful about asking questions or requesting help. You do not have to endure this process alone.

How can a cerebral palsy lawyer help?

Caring for a child with cerebral palsy may require extensive support and resources. These may include therapies, treatments, assistive equipment, in-home caretakers, and more. A settlement or verdict from a lawsuit can help cover these costs and put your worries at ease. An experienced cerebral palsy lawyer will lead you through this process with compassion and answer any questions you may have.

At ABC Law Centers, our cerebral palsy lawyers have been handling cases for families like yours for over 25 years. We know that on top of the emotional overwhelm, parents face financial and physical obstacles from being able to fully cater to their child’s special needs. We have also witnessed parents bravely take on these challenges in order to be the best caregiver they can be. However, parents of children with cerebral palsy deserve the resources, finances, tools, and community they need to give their child and family the best life possible. We have witnessed how the settlements and verdicts we secure for our clients can change their lives for the better.

At our firm, no client is treated as just a case number – each person becomes part of our firm’s family. Moreover, birth injury cases are the only type of cases we handle, so you will always be our priority. We have a wide network of professionals that we consult with on every single case, and you can be reassured that we give our undivided focus for each of our clients.

If your baby suffered any birth complications and has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, please contact us. We will fight to obtain the compensation you and your family deserve for lifelong care and treatment of your child.