Health Law

How Robotics Is Changing the Future of Cerebral Palsy Treatment

Posted on May 01, 2009
Researchers are now looking into robotics as a way to improve muscle movement and coordination in children with cerebral palsy. This area of research is relatively new, but already great strides have been made. In fact, research in this area has been so promising that Riley Hospital in Indianapolis will soon be home to the Robotics Clinical Center for Children with Cerebral Palsy...

What You Missed: Cerebral Palsy Conference Review

Posted on April 29, 2009
This year's United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) Annual Conference – Growing an Agile Potent Network – was held in San Francisco last weekend. In case you weren't able to make it, UCP is helping you to catch up on what you missed. The group's blog (UCPeople...

Apple's Big Mistake: The 'Baby Shaker' Application

Posted on April 25, 2009
There has been an uproar surrounding the 'Baby Shaker' application on the new Apple iPhone and rightfully so. The 99 cent application, which was removed from Apple's online store amid the controversy, allowed users to virtually shake a crying baby into silence – and death...

Documentary Film Takes New Look at Disability

Posted on April 24, 2009
The documentary film Shooting Beauty: Everyone Deserves a Shot takes a refreshing perspective on what it's like to live with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. The film follows aspiring fashion photographer, Courtney Bent, who discovers a new world when she starts teaching people with disabilities about her craft...

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Cerebral Palsy Is a Leading Cause of Paralysis

Posted on April 22, 2009
Cerebral palsy is the fourth leading cause of paralysis in the United States, according to a new report by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The report estimated that about 412,000 of the more than five million cases of paralysis in the U.S. are due to cerebral palsy...

New Software Predicts Risk of Birth Injury

Posted on April 19, 2009
Shoulder dystocia refers to a medical complication that occurs when the baby's shoulder becomes stuck behind the mother's pubic bone during delivery. When not handled properly, shoulder dystocia can result in serious injuries such as brachial plexus palsy, bone fractures and lacerations, among other things...

Interested in Summer Camp for Your Cerebral Palsy Child?

Posted on April 15, 2009
Summertime is approaching, and many parents are considering camp opportunities for their children. There are camps across the country that cater their programs to children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Below are a few resources that can help you in your search to find the best summer camp for your child: Parenting Special Needs article on summer camps – provides detailed descriptions of various camps from Florida to Texas and California UCP Listing of Summer Camps – offers comprehensive camp guides as well as information on individual camps Very Special Camps – a website devoted to providing information on camps and programs for people with special needs...

Overcoming Cerebral Palsy Symptoms: Check out an Abilities Expo near You

Posted on April 14, 2009
Abilities Expo is a vast tradeshow geared at improving the lives of people with disabilities and those who care for them. For individuals with mild to severe cerebral palsy symptoms, the show offers a peek at some of the latest cutting-edge technology as well as seminars and workshops that address a variety of disability issues...

Keeping Your Cerebral Palsy Child Safe in the Car

Posted on April 11, 2009
Children with cerebral palsy sometimes require special accommodations, and many parents wonder how they can accommodate their child in the car. A new blog post by United Cerebral Palsy addresses this issue and provides a number of helpful resources, including: The American Academy of Pediatrics The Automotive Safety Program Easter Seals/Goodwill of Central Ohio Go to the UCP blog, or learn more about Cerebral Palsy by checking out our ‘What is Cerebral Palsy' page...

Botox: Cerebral Palsy Treatment for Hip Dislocation?

Posted on April 10, 2009
Botox is sometimes used to reduce muscle spasticity, a rather common cerebral palsy symptom. But research suggests that it may also help reduce the risk of hip dislocation, which is a problem in some children with cerebral palsy. Traditionally braces have been used to prevent hip dislocation, but one study compared the use of braces to the use of Botox injections in 16 patients between 9 months and 4 years of age...

Texas Hospital Uses Cooling Blankets to Prevent Brain Damage

Posted on April 08, 2009
Lack of adequate oxygen at birth affects approximately 2 to 4 in every 1,000 babies born in the United States, and it can result in brain damage, cerebral palsy and other serious injuries to the newborn. To reduce the risk of death or disability in these infants, St...

Online Seminar to Focus on Dealing with a Seizure Emergency

Posted on April 05, 2009
Seizures often affect children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy. If your child has this cerebral palsy symptom, you might be interested in a live online seminar taking place on May 19th from 7:00-9:00 PM EDT. The seminar will discuss developing a seizure readiness plan, among other things, and is geared toward parents, teachers, nurses, caregivers, emergency responders and anyone else who works with children affected by seizure disorders...

What Parents Should Know about Developmental Milestones

Posted on April 04, 2009
It's true that all children develop differently, but a number of important milestones help doctors and parents gauge the overall progress of a child's motor, cognitive and language development. For instance, most babies start cooing by 3 months of age and can roll over by 6 months...

Vision Loss in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Posted on April 03, 2009
According to My Child without Limits, nearly two-thirds of children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and epilepsy also suffer from vision loss. The more severe the visual impairment, the more likely are additional health complications and delayed learning...

Will Your Child's Brachial Plexus Injury Benefit from Surgery?

Posted on April 01, 2009
Not necessarily — a recent review of medical literature suggests that some infants born with an obstetrical brachial plexus injury (OBPI) fall in a 'gray zone,' where it's not clear whether surgery is beneficial. According to the researchers, approximately half of children they evaluated who fell within this gray zone fully recovered without surgery...

Jury Awards $4 Million in Cerebral Palsy Lawsuit

Posted on March 31, 2009
Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida must pay $4 million in damages for injuries suffered by Jordan Preshong Brown during birth more than 11 years ago. The money from the 'staunchly defended' case will help to ensure that Jordan's future needs are met, said the family's medical attorney...

Senate: March 25, 2009 is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day

Posted on March 29, 2009
On March 24th, the United States Senate designated March 25, 2009 as National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. Support for the measure was led by Senator Arlen Specter. Now is a great time to celebrate by learning more about cerebral palsy symptoms. You may also wish you check out the website for the United Cerebral Palsy affiliate in your area to find out ways to raise awareness...

Resource Find: Forms for Staying Organized

Posted on March 24, 2009
Staying organized is one of the greatest challenges caregivers and parents of special needs children face. Recently, one of our medical attorneys came across a great resource that can help families stay organized – a series of forms developed by United Cerebral Palsy that can be used for anything from doctor's visits to notes for the babysitter...

5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Cerebral Palsy

Posted on March 23, 2009
Your child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy – the first and most obvious question you want to ask your doctor is 'what is cerebral palsy?' The answer is rather broad, considering that cerebral palsy is a single term used to define a group of movement disorders...

UCP Supports Inclusive Home Design Act

Posted on March 22, 2009
The national disability advocacy organization United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is one of more than 20 groups coming together to support the much needed Inclusive Home Design Act. The Act is designed to increase accessibility in homes built with federal assistance...

Drugs Used for CP Symptom Linked to Heart Risk

Posted on March 20, 2009
One of the conditions often associated with cerebral palsy is seizures. Seizures are commonly prevented using one of two medications, both of which are classified as anticonvulsants and both of which have recently been linked to heart risks: phenytoin (Dilantin®) or carbamazepine (Tegetrol® and Carbatrol®)...

When Is It Too Late To Sue for a Birth Injury?

Posted on March 19, 2009
When is it too late to sue for a birth injury? – This is a question being debated in a case in the United Kingdom. The case involves a man, now 34, who is seeking damages for injuries suffered due to oxygen deprivation at birth. In the U.K., individuals may sue for damages up until the age of 21 and this particular case is unique in that the man is filing his case well beyond the legal time limit...

Article Outlines Cerebral Palsy Symptoms

Posted on March 17, 2009
The son of British opposition leader David Cameron recently died. The 6-year-old boy had cerebral palsy and a rare seizure disorder. His death has prompted many questions about cerebral palsy symptoms and causes, and the Associated Press published an article outlining the some basic information about the condition...

Coming to Terms with a Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis

Posted on March 16, 2009
It's natural for parents to feel a range of emotions when their child is diagnosed with a developmental disability like cerebral palsy, particularly in cases where the disability could have been prevented with proper medical care. Dealing with these emotions is not always easy, and many parents find they could use a little help...

What is Erbs Palsy?

Posted on March 11, 2009
It's a term you may have heard, but what exactly is Erbs palsy?  Put simply, it is a birth injury that causes damage to an infant's brachial plexus, the group of nerves that influence the fingers, hands and arms.  It affects one in every 1,000 to 2,000 babies, and given the number of babies born every day in the U...

Disability Funding a Primary Focus of Coming Policy Seminar

Posted on March 10, 2009
Financial worries are compounding for many families right now, some of whom have experienced job losses, loss of health insurance and even the threat of foreclosure. Among those hardest hit by the current economic recession are families caring for a child with cerebral palsy or other disability...

Laborists: A New Medical Specialty?

Posted on March 09, 2009
Obstetrics has one of the highest rates of malpractice of all medical specialties, and medical malpractice in this field can cause cerebral palsy and other lifelong or life-threatening conditions. Reducing the long hours obstetricians work may help to minimize the margin for error -- hence, the rise of laborists...

Technology and Disability Conference Is Approaching

Posted on March 08, 2009
California State University Northridge (CSUN) is holding its 24th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference from March 16th-21st in Los Angeles. This year's conference will focus on trends in assistive technology (AT) and will feature Keynote Speaker Anthony Coelho, the former U...

Celebrate Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

Posted on March 07, 2009
Did you know that March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month? You can celebrate by raising awareness in your local community. There are various ways you can spread the word about cerebral palsy, including: Coordinating outreach events Submitting letters to the editors of local publications Blogging about the condition In addition, you can contact your local United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) affiliate to find out when and where any special events are being held...

Cerebral Palsy Group Launches New Website

Posted on March 05, 2009

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