CEREBRAL PALSY

    Cerebral palsy is the term for paralysis and spasticity resulting from brain injury.  The paralysis can affect both arms and legs (quadriplegia) or the arm and the leg on just one side (hemiplegia).  Cerebral palsy is permanent, incurable and irreversible.  

CEREBRAL PALSY IS OFTEN PREVENTABLE

  Not all cerebral palsy is the result of improper care by the physicians and nurses attending to the labor and delivery and the newborn.  However, recent scientific studies state that a large percentage of all cases of cerebral palsy are a result of intrapartum asphyxia (lack of oxygen during labor and delivery).  This is significant because there are recognized signs and symptoms of intrapartum asphyxia and there are approved interventions to be performed by doctors and nurses in order to prevent permanent brain damage when those signs and symptoms of asphyxia are present.     The most common warning sign of impending brain injury is an abnormal heart rate as demonstrated on an electronic fetal heart rate monitor.  Such monitors are in common use in virtually every hospital in Oregon and all labor and delivery nurses and physicians attending to pregnancies are trained to recognize abnormal heart rate patterns on the monitors.     Labor and delivery nurses and physicians attending to pregnancies are trained and are expected to initiate the following simple and straightforward interventions when heart rate abnormalities appear on the fetal heart monitor: turn mom from one side to the other, administer oxygen, start an I V to administer hydration and, most importantly, notify the doctor.  If these simple interventions do not resolve the heart rate abnormalities, all labor and delivery nurses and physicians attending to pregnancies are trained and required to proceed as expeditiously as possible to delivery of the infant in order to prevent brain damage and possible cerebral palsy. 

For more information, contact:

United Cerebral Palsy

The Cerebral Palsy Network