Tag Archives: cerebral palsy lawyer

Points to Environmental Factors A new study supports the argument that environmental factors may play a causal role in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to recent research at Northwestern University involving ASD-discordant twin pairs who are part of the Swedish Twin Registry’s Child and Adolescent Twin Study, twins with a lower birth weight are more than three times as likely to meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder. The study identified a 13 percent increase in ASD risk for every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of decreased birth weight. Led by Molly Losh, director of Northwestern’s Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Laboratory, researchers studied 3,725 same-sex twin pairs born between 1992 and 1995 with a difference in birth weight of more than 400 grams (about 14 ounces) or at least 15 percent. The study sample included both identical and fraternal twins. According to Losh (as quoted by Science Daily): “That only one…
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Most of us have probably heard of Botox being used to reduce facial wrinkles. However, Botox can also be used to treat spastic quadriplegia in cerebral palsy patients. Children affected by spastic quadriplegia suffer from severe muscle stiffness in both arms and both legs. Most children with this condition cannot walk. Their speech may also be affected, and seizures are common as well. Treatment for spastic quadriplegia often involves physical therapy, surgery or both. Physical therapy is used to help relax a patient’s stiff muscles, and most children also require multiple surgeries to lengthen their muscles. In recent years, doctors have started using Botox to minimize the need for surgery and improve the quality of life for children with spastic quadriplegia. Dr. Deidre Ryan, an orthopedic surgeon at Loyola University in Chicago, has been using Botox in cerebral palsy patients for several years. According to Dr. Ryan, as quoted by…
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A recently published Australian study indicates that higher temperatures may increase a woman’s risk of premature delivery or stillbirth. Premature babies have an elevated risk of birth defects, including: Mental retardation Learning disabilities Behavioral problems Respiratory complications Vision and hearing loss Cerebral palsy If avoidable birth trauma caused your child’s birth defect, an experienced cerebral palsy attorney can help you seek compensation for your child’s injuries. What Researchers Found Led by Associate Professor Adrian Barnett of QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, the Australian study looked at still and premature births in Brisbane over a four-year period and recorded weekly temperature, humidity and air pollution levels for each pregnancy. Of the 101,870 births recorded during that period, 653 were stillbirths, roughly .6 percent. Science Daily quotes Dr. Barnett as saying: “We found that increases in temperature increased the risk of stillbirth, and this was particularly true in the earlier…
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