A new study on autism has demonstrated that the risk of developing autism among children who were born prematurely is five times greater than among kids born after a full-term pregnancy. The new study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that five out of every 100 young adults born weighing less than four and a half pounds had autism. This is significantly higher than the estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that one out of every 100 eight-year-old kids has autism. The professor who led the study, Jennifer Pinto-Martin of the University of Pennsylvania, says she “was surprised”. “I knew it would be higher than the general population…but I thought the rate would be about double”, she said. Those with autism in the study also showed a higher prevalence for other psychiatric disorders, such as phobias and attention-deficit disorder. Pinto-Martin said that although her study did not…
Read More »
Birth Injury and Cerebral Palsy Attorneys Home
Autism In Premature Babies Five Times More Likely
November 3, 2011A Surprising Birth Injury
November 1, 2011A mom from Fergus Falls, MN, has learned what brachial plexus injury is in the hardest way possible, through having her newborn son. Carly Schiesser said she read all the books on pregnancy when she found out she was pregnant again, but not one mentioned the injury her son would suffer when he was born. Her son suffered an avulsion, or detachment from the spinal cord, of the nerves that control his hand, wrist and forearm, a rupture of the nerve with controls his elbow and a stretched nerve that controls shoulder function. This means that his arm is most likely going to be paralyzed for life. One of the most upsetting parts of this injury is that it likely could have been prevented. Just changing a woman’s position on the birthing table can open up her pelvis by up to 30 percent. Schiesser says she and her husband ask…
Read More »
Surgery Allows Boy With Cerebral Palsy To Walk
October 28, 2011A four-year-old boy suffering from cerebral palsy is finally able to walk unaided after an operation at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri last month. Mikki Alli’s parents brought him over to the U.S. from Great Britain to have the operation done. The surgery is not readily available in the U.K., and is not covered by the country’s health system. Because of this, Mikki’s parents had to come up with over $50,000 to pay for the procedure. They did this through the contributions of friends, family and multiple fundraising events. The operation, called selective dorsal rhyzotomy, involves the severing of nerves around the base of the spine and improves balance, standing and walking. With Mikki walking, his mom says it allows them significantly more freedom to go to new places, and has made him much happier. Does your child suffer from cerebral palsy that was caused by medical negligence? The…
Read More »