A new study from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) in Montréal has uncovered evidence that may alter the way cerebral palsy is understood.
Doctors have historically considered factors like birth asphyxia, stroke, and infections in the developing brains of babies to be the primary causes of cerebral palsy, but the new study, published August 3 in Nature Communications, suggests that at least 1 in 10 cases may have genetic origins.
“Our research suggest that there is a much stronger genetic component to cerebral palsy than previously suspected,” said lead study author Dr. Maryam Oskui in a MUHC release. “How these genetic factors interplay with other established risk factors remains to be fully understood. For example, two newborns exposed to the same environmental stressors will often have very different outcomes. Our research suggest that our genes impart resilience, or conversely a susceptibility to injury.”
Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in children, effecting two out of every thousand births. Children suffering from the disorder may experience a wide range of symptoms, including difficulty with motor development, epilepsy, and learning, speech, hearing, and visual impairments. The new information presented in the study may lead to improvements in counseling, prevention, and treatment of children with cerebral palsy, and could ease the burden on confused parents.
“Finding an underlying cause for a child’s disability is an important undertaking in management,” said Dr. Michael Shevell, co-director of the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Registry. “Parents may want to know why their child has particular challenges. Finding a precise reason opens up multiple vistas related to understanding, specific treatment, prevention and rehabilitation. This study will provide the impetus to make genetic testing a standard part of the comprehensive assessment of the child with cerebral palsy.”
Genetic testing may also help determine the feasibility of a medical malpractice suit related to a child born with cerebral palsy. While many cases cannot be prevented or foreseen, others can be caused by injuries to a child’s brain during delivery. In cases where the injuries could have been avoided by appropriate medical care and attention, a medical malpractice suit may be warranted.
In 2013, a British Columbia obstetrician was ruled liable for injuries to Cassidy Ediger, who suffers from cerebral palsy caused by damage to the brain. Also in 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada found a doctor negligent on the issue of informed consent after a mother was advised to deliver a vaginal birth after a caesarean section (VBAC) without being warned of the implications of the procedure. During the delivery, the mother’s uterus ruptured, and the child was deprived of oxygen for more than 20 minutes, leaving him with cerebral palsy.
Children with cerebral palsy face a challenging journey through life, and may require special care as they embark on the transition to adulthood. If you believe the hospital, doctors, or nurses involved in the delivery or your child failed to provide proper medical care, contact Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers at 416-920-4242 for a free consultation.
Greg Neinstein
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