St. Louis malpractice attorneys

Birth Injuries | Spastic Quadriplegia

The term spastic quadriplegia is comprised of the following:

• Spastic: Points to the muscle stiffness associated with the condition
• Quadri: from the Latin for four, referring to the four limbs that are affected
• Plegia: comes from the Greek word for paralysis

A form of cerebral palsy, there are three types of spastic cerebral palsy:

• Spastic diplegia:
  Characterized by stiff leg and hip muscles, making walking difficult. When walking, a person with this condition may cross his legs at the knees. Often also referred to as “scissoring.”
• Spastic hemiplegia:
  Stiffness is experienced only on one side of the body. Arms may appear to be more severely affected, and the arms or legs on the affected side may not develop normally. Individuals with this condition often require leg braces.
• Spastic quadriplegia:
  The most severe of the three. There is an increased likelihood of mental retardation, and all four limbs are affected. Walking and talking is difficult for this individual, and he or she may suffer from seizures.

Symptoms of spastic quadriplegia

Spastic quadriplegia is characterized by all four limbs being very stiff, but the individual may have a neck that appears to be “floppy,” because he has no voluntary control of his neck. Because the individual has limited control of his neck and tongue muscles, his speech may be impaired, with the possibility of uncontrolled drooling. He may also suffer from seizures.

Because of the impaired speech, communicating with an individual with spastic quadriplegia may be challenging, which may make assessing his IQ level difficult. It has also been found that individuals with this condition may have moderate to severe mental retardation.

Causes of spastic quadriplegia

Brain damage is the primary cause of spastic quadriplegia. This brain damage may stem from an infection suffered by the mother while carrying the baby, which was then passed to the baby while still in utero, or while the baby is still in the womb. This exposure to toxins or infections can significantly affect the development of the baby’s brain.

During the final trimester of a pregnancy, the baby’s white matter is vulnerable and can be damaged. Since white brain matter is involved with sending signals from the brain to the rest of the body, damage to this white brain matter significantly affects the body’s ability to communicate with itself and function properly. When the baby’s white brain matter is affected by an infection, it forms holes or lesions, which are called periventricular leukomalacias.

If the mother contracts an infection while pregnant, this infection can spread to the uterus and placenta. When this happens, the mother’s immune system will produce immune cells called cytokines to combat the infection. One of the results of cytokines is inflammation. While this inflammation is a necessary part of fighting off infections, this inflammation could adversely affect the development of the baby’s brain.

Other conditions may also cause the baby to suffer from lack of oxygen to the brain. Some of these conditions could include:

• Placenta abruption: if the placenta should detach from the uterus.
• The mother’s uterus ruptures.
• If there is damage or deformity of the baby’s umbilical cord.
• The mother suffers from high blood pressure while pregnant, increasing the risk of the baby suffering from a stroke .

A stroke to a baby in utero could also lead to brain damage and spastic quadriplegia. Fetal strokes can occur if there is a blood clot in the placenta. This blood clot could obstruct blood flow, which can hinder the essential delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the baby. The baby may also have poorly developed blood vessels in his brain, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain, and a stroke.

Complications of spastic quadriplegia

Individuals with spastic quadriplegia are susceptible to scoliosis because of the jerky nature of this condition. This deformity occurs over time, and will make walking even more difficult. Some other complications or deformities that may develop:

• Ankle equines: the ankle cannot flex normally, causing the individual to walk on his toes
• Foot drop or drop foot: the individual has difficulty raising the front of the foot
• Difficulty swallowing because of diminished muscle control: this condition makes adequate nutrition a constant battle
• Bladder and bowel difficulties

Diagnosing spastic quadriplegia

Spastic quadriplegia is normally diagnosed when the child is still an infant — this is when the parents and/or the doctor or pediatrician notices that there is a marked delay in the development of the baby. While this condition may also cause a baby to experience a seizure before his or her 6-month anniversary, this is not an accurate indicator because not all babies with spastic quadriplegia will suffer from a seizure before this milestone.

Treatment for spastic quadriplegia

While there is no cure for spastic quadriplegia, there are treatments that can make life more comfortable and afford more mobility for an individual with spastic quadriplegia. Such treatments include:

• Physical therapy strengthens limbs and prevents muscles from becoming stiff and constricting abnormally.
• Surgery can also be used to correct any deformities that may occur and make individuals more mobile.
• Medications can be administered to reduce some of the spastic or jerky movements.
• Medications can also be used to manage seizures.

Our results demonstrate our committment to helping our clients recover financial compensation to help families heal from an injury or wrongful death at the hands of a negligent act. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injury as the result of negligence, malpractice or carelessness, contact our Missouri personal injury lawyers online or call 314.621.0622 (toll free 877.621.0622) to schedule a FREE consultation and learn how the law can help you recover financial damages for your injuries.

The Missouri Injury Attorneys of Millikan Wright LLC focus serving the needs of the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area. On the Missouri side, our lawyers represent people injured in St. Louis city, St. Louis county, Jefferson county, Franklin county, St. Charles county, and Lincoln county. On the Illinois side, our attorneys represent people hurt in Madison county, St. Clair county and Monroe county.