In a recent video, I explained that an HIE diagnosis does not automatically mean a baby will develop cerebral palsy. Afterward, I got a good follow up question. Someone wanted to know how often I actually see babies diagnosed with cerebral palsy after an HIE diagnosis. It is a fair question, and one I will restate here…Why do I see so many babies with cerebral palsy after an HIE diagnosis?
The Families Who Reach Out To Me
The honest answer is that in the overwhelming majority of the HIE cases that come to me, the child has ultimately been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. If you are the mother of a baby recently diagnosed with HIE, that might sound frightening. I do not want you to think every baby with HIE develops cerebral palsy, because that is simply not true. The babies I see are not a random sample of everyone diagnosed with HIE. They are a selected group whose families are searching for answers about a serious brain injury and its long term effects.
Why Do I See So Many Babies With Cerebral Palsy After An HIE Diagnosis?
Families generally are not calling me because their baby had a mild HIE diagnosis and is meeting every milestone. They usually reach out because their child has ongoing medical, developmental, or movement concerns, and they want to understand what happened around the time of birth. That means my practice includes a much higher percentage of children with moderate and severe HIE. Babies with moderate HIE, and especially severe HIE, generally have a greater chance of later being diagnosed with cerebral palsy than babies with mild HIE, since more significant brain injuries are more likely to affect movement, muscle tone, posture, and coordination.
What This Means For Your Baby
That does not mean every baby with moderate or severe HIE will develop cerebral palsy, it simply means the risk is higher, which is why these children are followed so closely. Doctors continue to monitor milestones, muscle tone, movement, coordination, and neurological function over time before deciding whether a cerebral palsy diagnosis fits. If your baby was recently diagnosed with HIE, living with uncertainty is hard, but every child and every brain injury is different. That is really the answer to why do I see so many babies with cerebral palsy after an HIE diagnosis.
To speak with me further about your baby’s HIE or cerebral palsy diagnosis, reach out to me at my contact information below. Remember, it does not cost you any money initially to speak with me about your baby’s story.
Marcus B. Boston, Esq.
9701 Apollo Dr. Suite 100
Largo, Maryland 20774
301-850-4832
1-833-4 BABY HELP
