Athetoid / Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy Attorneys

Athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy (CP) affects between 10% and 20% of people diagnosed with CP. Athetoid CP is cerebral palsy caused by muscles being too tight, also called "hypertonia," and too loose, or "hypotonia." These muscle tone fluctuations often cause muscle spasms. Our Philadelphia cerebral palsy lawyers at The Beasley Firm proudly take on  Philadelphia birth injury cases for families in the area. Since 1958, our team of legal professionals and medical experts has worked together to provide the most effective advocacy for injury victims. We fight battles for our clients, and we consistently win. In fact, our Philadelphia birth injury lawyers won $15 million in cerebral palsy verdicts in 2012 alone and $2+ billion in successful judgments and settlements for the injury victims in our nearly 60 years of practice.

You can trust us to fight your battles. Call (215) 866-2424!

Athetoid CP Birth Injury Lawsuits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Athetoid cerebral palsy, like other forms of CP, can be caused by brain damage to a baby during labor, delivery or birth. In athetoid or dyskinetic CP, the cerebellum or basal ganglia-which are responsible for muscle coordination, smooth movements, and body posture-are damaged. Damage to an infant's brain in the cerebellum or basal ganglia areas can cause them to have slow, random, and involuntary movements.

The brain damage seen in athetoid CP is usually caused by a lack of oxygen to the baby's brain; however, this type of brain damage in a baby can also be caused by:

• A high bilirubin level
• Jaundice
• Kernicterus

Common Symptoms of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Children with athetoid or dyskinetic CP have trouble holding themselves up in a steady position in order to sit or walk. They frequently have involuntary body movements. Sometimes the face muscles, tongue, and throat are affected, causing drooling, grimacing, and difficulty speaking or dysarthria. For some children affected by athetoid CP, it takes a tremendous amount of work or concentration to move their hand to a desired spot such as scratching an itch or reaching for an object. Once they finally have the object in their hand, they may have trouble holding onto the object due to difficulty or delay with fine motor skills. Due to the loss of fine motor ability, many children with athetoid cerebral palsy may require modified or special combs, toothbrushes, pencils, and eating utensils to be able to carry out normal activities of daily living (ADLs).

The Beasley Firm is proud to represent clients in cerebral palsy cases. Contact our Philadelphia cerebral palsy lawyers for the representation your family deserves: (215) 866-2424.