Posts for the 'Birth Injuries' Category
Cerebral Palsy Summer Camps
As summer nears, parents of children with cerebral palsy may become concerned that their child will regress or lose some of the skills they developed during the school year. Cerebral palsy summer camps are offered in many places throughout the country to help enhance skills and provide a higher level of confidence for children impacted by the motor disability.
Dramatic cerebral palsy improvement seen after cord blood treatment
NBC’s Today Show recently reported on the story about a toddler with cerebral palsy, who experienced dramatic improvements in his disability following an experimental procedure involving a stem cell transplant. While still an unproven treatment, this provides hope that some children may be able to recover from cerebral palsy, or at least experience improvement of cerebral palsy symptoms.
Preeclampsia and Cerebral Palsy
Preeclampsia is a serious medical condition which can occur in pregnant women. If a doctor, nurse or medical provider, fails to follow the proper standard of medical care, they may miss warning signs and fail to properly treat pre-eclampsia. This may lead to a premature delivery, and increase the risk that the baby suffers a devastating birth injury, such as cerebral palsy.
>>INFORMATION: Medical mistakes resulting in cerebral palsy
Data about number of children with Cerebral Palsy may lead to additional research
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of cerebral palsy may be higher than previous estimates. A report released last week suggests that about 3.6 out of every 1,000 eight year old children, or about 1 in 278, have cerebral palsy. Prior numbers suggested about 1 in 666 children suffer from the motor disability. Many hope that this data will lead to additional funding for research which could uncover information to help prevent cerebral palsy or lead to new treatments.
Obstetrical malpractice risk could be cut by new safety measures
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine recently reported on the impact special safety procedures can have on the risk of obstetrical errors. Medical mistakes during the course of childbirth could result in devastating and potentially fatal injuries for a mother or newborn child. The simple safety enhancements implemented at Yale-New Haven Hospital could greatly reduce the risk of obstetrical malpractice at other hospitals throughout the United States.
>>INFORMATION: Obstetrical malpractice lawsuits
Use of Botox to treat Cerebral Palsy could be linked to serious reactions
Yesterday, the FDA notified the public about serious and potentially fatal reactions which have been associated with use of Botox and Myobloc. Botox side effects could be responsible for a number of hospitalizations and deaths, most of which involved children with cerebral palsy who were treated with Botox to reduce spasticity in their limbs.
>>FDA ALERT: Botox reactions lead to safety review
Premature baby cerebral palsy risk could be reduced with use of epsom salt
A new study indicates that giving an infusion of Epsom salts to a pregnant woman who has gone into early labor could greatly reduce the premature baby’s cerebral palsy risk. Cerebral palsy is a serious disorder which could permanently impact movement control and muscle coordination throughout a child’s life. While cerebral palsy could be caused by a medical mistake which results in damage to the child’s brain during, before or after birth, premature babies generally have an increased risk of cerebral, so the breakthrough research could help many children avoid the devastating disability.
>>INFORMATION: Cerebral Palsy
Brain chilling cap may reduce risk of cerebral palsy
A new technique used by some hospitals in Great Britain may prove to be an important breakthrough in preventing brain damage which could result from a traumatic birth. A brain chilling cap is used after some deliveries where the birth was delayed or the baby’s brain was deprived of oxygen. The chilling cap reduces brain swelling which could cause cerebral palsy
FDA warns about CellCept birth defect side effects
Yesterday, the FDA announced that a black box warning will be added to CellCept, indicating that the drug could increase the risk of miscarriages and birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy. CellCept is commonly given following organ transplants to keep the body from attacking the new organ, but it could also cause serious congenital malformations and pregnancy loss.
>>FDA MEDWATCH: CellCept Birth Defect Warning
Risk of birth defects from drugs is not always conveyed to women
Many drugs on the market today should not be taken by women who are or may become pregnant. The side effect of these medicines on an unborn baby can be devastating, and yet research shows that many women taking these drugs are unaware of the danger.
