Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy

Determining life expectancy in children who have sustained birth injuries is extremely difficult, especially when they receive a diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP). This is due largely to the fact that many children do not manifest the more severe symptoms associated with this condition until later in life. As a child ages, his or her symptoms become increasingly noticeable, allowing the severity of the disease to be more readily determined.

If your child sustained injuries at birth due to medical negligence that resulted in cerebral palsy, your family is not alone. Stern Law, PLLC can pursue Lifetime Benefits and other compensation to alleviate some of the costs associated with your child’s difficulties. Please call (800) 462-5772 for a free case evaluation today.

Determining life expectancy in children with CP

While advancing age may shed some light on the issue, there is no exact science as to specifically predicting the life expectancy of a child with CP. In fact, there are numerous studies that have been conducted regarding the survivability of children affected by CP.

There are numerous variables that may or may not be present that can affect their life expectancy, such as:

• There are several disability categories associated with CP – Categories include cognition, hearing, vision, manual ability, and mobility. This often makes it difficult to determine an average life expectancy for those suffering with this condition because each case differs.
• Lack of collaborative effort by medical professionals and scientists – Epidemiologists, statisticians and pediatricians all help gather information and render a determination regarding life expectancy, and each has their own means of doing so.
• A child’s symptoms may start as mild – A pediatrician may not able to determine whether symptoms are attributable to CP, some other disease, or even the result of a medical condition.
• Roughly two to three per 1,000 children have CP – An approximate total of 1,000,000 people of all ages have CP – The fact that this many people are affected by CP makes the inquiry as to life expectancy even more challenging and complex – especially because there are varying degrees of severity of the condition as well as a litany of symptoms that may affect each person differently.

For additional information, you can click here to learn everything you need to know about cerebral palsy, such as its causes, treatments, prevention and other important factors.

Stern Law, PLLC doesn’t focus exclusively on filing lawsuits. We care deeply about each family who entrusts their cerebral palsy case to us, and we in turn provide support and resources as well as experienced legal counsel. Call us today at (800) 462-5772 for more information and a free consultation.