Today we will discuss will a baby’s HIE diagnosis mean a CP diagnosis? When we talk to families who have recently suffered a traumatic brain injury at birth terms like HIE and CP or cerebral palsy can be overwhelming. As a result, after processing the information it is no surprise that parents have questions.
Below we will discuss the diagnosis HIE, and how we work with it from a medical legal standpoint, and the diagnosis CP. Please remember that medical malpractice will not automatically be the cause of the injury just because the outcome at birth was not what was expected.
What Is HIE & CP?
HIE is hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and can occur when there is a reduction in blood and oxygen causing a brain injury. There can be many things which can lead to a baby having a reduction in blood and oxygen. Some of them can occur during pregnancy and be due to genetics and development. On the other hand, birth trauma can also cause a reduction in blood and oxygen. For example, if during labor the umbilical cord becomes compressed, this can lead to a decrease in blood and oxygen. Doctors and nurses might see a sudden drop in the baby’s heart rate on the fetal heart monitor if cord compression is present.
CP, or cerebral palsy is a type of movement disorder. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. A CP diagnosis ranges from 1-4 per 1000 live births, with about 1 in 345 children in the US have been diagnosed with CP, as of 2010 numbers.
There can also be multiple causes of CP. For example, if there is abnormal development of the brain, then a CP diagnosis is possible. On the other hand, if there is damage to a baby’s brain, then a CP diagnosis can occur in some instances. If an area(s) of the brain that control motor function are damaged or injured, then there is a possibility of a CP diagnosis.
Will A Baby’s HIE Diagnosis Mean CP Too?
Just because a child has an HIE diagnosis does not always mean that a CP diagnosis will be present. According to some literature, 40% of babies who have an HIE diagnosis will not have a CP diagnosis by 2 years old. A lot of factors come into the play when assessing whether a child will develop a CP diagnosis, namely the severity of the injury and the area(s) of the brain injured and impacted.
If your baby has an HIE diagnosis, and/or a subsequent CP diagnosis and you have questions as to the cause of the traumatic brain injury, I invite you to call be at my contact information below. I speak with families like yours all the time about these issues and I would be happy to listen to your baby’s story.
Marcus B. Boston, Esq.
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
1-833-4 BABY HELP
