Because of the complexity and unpredictability of symptoms of cerebral palsy in young children, parents often struggle to manage the various treatment options and their effectiveness. Research is continually being done on how cerebral palsy can be treated and managed and one treatment that may be helpful for some children whose cerebral palsy has caused a leg length discrepancy is leg lengthening treatment. Research has shown that leg lengthening treatment can be an effective way to manage the difficulties of a leg length discrepancy, but it also has serious risks and parents should consider this option carefully before committing their child to this procedure. 

What Are the Symptoms of a Leg Length Discrepancy? 

Leg length discrepancies resulting from cerebral palsy exist at birth, but often do not become apparent until a child is old enough to move by herself. They may be difficult to diagnose because a discrepancy may be small enough to be unnoticeable but still cause significant delays in walking, running, and jumping. 

 While a mild leg length discrepancy may not cause any serious impediment to a child’s movement and can often be treated with orthotics, a more significant discrepancy can cause problems that range from making walking somewhat difficult to being quite painful and causing serious mobility problems. Significant leg length discrepancies can cause back, knee, and hip problems, including scoliosis and fatigue. It may also be difficult to find clothes that fit your child right. 

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 Cerebral palsy is a complex group of disorders caused by brain damage that has a wide variety of symptoms. Usually, the damage that causes cerebral palsy occurs during early development before a child is born. However, sometimes cerebral palsy can result from medical malpractice during birth because of issues like delayed delivery, improper use of assistive tools like forceps, and breech birth. If you recently found out that your child has cerebral palsy, you may want to know more about what this diagnosis might mean for you and your loved one. Here are some of the most common medical issues that children with cerebral palsy may have. 

Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)

Dysphagia is difficulty swallowing caused by weakness or dysfunction of muscles involved in the swallowing process. Dysphagia can occur in the back of the throat or lower down in the esophagus. Children with dysphagia often struggle to chew, feel pain when they swallow, or get food stuck in their throat. Dysphagia can be painful for children and frightening for their parents because it can be difficult to diagnose and treat unless it presents with other symptoms. Depending on the severity of the condition, a feeding tube may be necessary to ensure a child gets their nutritional needs met. 

Movement and Coordination Issues

Children with cerebral palsy often suffer from various difficulties controlling their movement. The most common disorder is spasticity, or uncontrolled muscle stiffening, but other common disorders include exaggerated reflexes, difficulty balancing, hand-eye coordination, and difficulty with precise movements like buttoning a shirt. Some children have only very mild mobility issues and can move independently while others use wheelchairs their entire lives. 

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Cerebral palsy is a complex group of neural disorders that can cause weakness or damage to the development and function of someone’s brain and how it communicates with his or her muscles. Different people exhibit different symptoms of cerebral palsy, and the effects can range from mild difficulties when walking to permanently debilitating intellectual or physical conditions that require full-time care.

Cerebral palsy can be caused by many factors before, during, and after birth when a child’s brain is rapidly developing. Most cases of cerebral palsy are thought to be congenital, meaning they develop through no fault of the child’s parents or healthcare providers. In some cases, however, poor medical treatment during childbirth can cause birth injuries that cause cerebral palsy. If you are worried that your child has suffered brain damage because of the negligent or careless actions of your provider, read on. 

Causes of Cerebral Palsy During Childbirth

Because an infant’s brain is still developing, brain trauma is significantly more hazardous to a baby than it would be to an adult. Medical providers should be aware of risk factors that can put a child at breast risk of developing cerebral palsy, including: 

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Every parent hopes that their child will grow up healthy and strong. Unfortunately, approximately 2 out of 1000 children suffer from a serious condition called cerebral palsy. The causes of cerebral palsy are not fully understood. Sometimes, the condition is unavoidable. Other times, medical negligence during pregnancy or birth causes the condition.

Cerebral palsy can reduce a child’s ability to walk, talk, eat, and become an independent adult. Fortunately, there are several different treatments available to cerebral palsy sufferers that may reduce symptoms and improve mobility. A recent study has demonstrated that horse therapy, also called hippotherapy or equine therapy, is a viable treatment option for kids with cerebral palsy.

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One of the most wonderful moments in a family’s life is welcoming the birth of a new baby. After nine months of waiting and planning, that perfect bundle of joy has finally arrived. Unfortunately, not all labor and deliveries go smoothly. Situations occur and if the doctor and medical staff involved in the delivery are negligent or careless, the result can be tragic. Too often, these failures by medical personnel cause serious birth injuries to the baby, such as cerebral palsy (CP), and the life the family was planning is forever changed.

Medical Errors That May Lead to Cerebral Palsy

What type of mistakes do obstetricians and hospital staff make that can cause such severe injury to an otherwise healthy infant? Some of the most common include:

• Failure to recognize the infant is in distress and delaying delivery by Caesarean section – also referred to as a C-section

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