DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

A newly updated annual ranking of state medical boards by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen has revealed widespread discrepancies in both the numbers of disciplinary actions taken against physicians' licenses, and the rates of those disciplinary actions from state to state.  Though the specific numbers have changed again this year, a pronounced trend of significant discrepancies between individual states has held constant for years.  Unless geography influences a physician's competence, these state-by-state discrepancies point to a dangerously inadequate national system of physician oversight -- one that could conceivably allow dangerous, incompetent physicians to continue to practice medicine by moving from state to state.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning that three products:  Botox, Botox Cosmetic (Botulinum toxin Type A), and Myobloc (Botulinum toxin Type B) have been linked to fatal adverse reactions including respiratory failure.  The most severe adverse reactions have occurred in children with cerebral palsy, who rely on the drug for treatment of limb spasticity.  The FDA warns that it has not approved any Botulinum toxins for treatment of spasticity in either children or adults, though it is not advising healthcare professionals to stop prescribing the products at this time. 

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) increases the risk of urogenital malformation and Cerebral Palsy (CP) in children, according to a new study published in the medical journal The Lancet.  Though the fertility procedures have been performed for about thirty years, researchers say relatively little is known yet regarding the health of children born via in-vitro fertilization.  While some morbidity associated with the procedures has rightly been attributed to the subfertile parents, much remains unknown about the risks posed by the procedures themselves.  According to this study, based on data collected from 1980 to 2005, children born through IVF techniques appear to have a 30% higher risk of major congenital malformations, regardless of the technique employed by physicians.  They also face a higher risk of developing CP, which researchers attribute partly to the increased risk of premature birth, and partly to the increased odds of the in-utero loss of one child in instances where twins are present -- both events are more common in IVF pregnancies, and are known indicators of increased CP risk.  The risk of CP appears to be lower in single-embryo transfers as opposed to multiple-embryo transfers.

Most children with Cerebral Palsy between the ages of 8 and 12 rate their quality of life no lower than do typical 8 to 12-year-olds, according to a study recently published in the medical journal The Lancet.  The study, conducted in the U.K., involved 500 randomly-selected children between 8 and 12 years of age who had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and were capable of self-reporting their quality of life.  Researchers found that neither a diagnosis of CP nor the type or severity of their impairments affected their scores relating to psychological well-being, self-perception, social support, school environment, perception of financial resources or social acceptance, when compared to the general population of similar-age children.

As reported by Medical News Today, pregnant women who develop chorioamnionitis, an infection of the placenta or nearby membranes, in their first pregnancy have twice the risk of getting it in their second pregnancy, researchers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas (UT Southwestern) have found.

Having a child diagnosed with cerebral palsy can be overwhelming. It is critical that you find reliable sources of information on the condition, as well as national organizations for assistance. The Cerebral Palsy Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)  is a great resource for parents and others who have questions about cerebral palsy and need answers.

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral Palsy is a general medical term used to describe a group of chronic conditions that impair a person's movement. These chronic conditions appear either at birth or in the first few years of life. It is believed that these disorders are caused by either damage to the areas of the brain that control motor function, or faulty development of those areas of the brain. The symptoms include difficulty with balance or walking, involuntary movements and/or problems with fine motor tasks, such as writing or typing. Some children with cerebral palsy also have other medical disorders including seizures or mental impairment, but cerebral palsy is not always paired with these other disorders.

When clients initially contact us after learning that their baby or toddler has suffered a birth injury resulting in hemiplegia, hemiparesis, or cerebral palsy, they frequently feel that they are alone in facing the seemingly overwhelming challenges. We provide our clients with referrals to the leading specialists, including physical and occupational therapists, pediatric neurologists, and support groups. To locate some of the more popular support groups, please see the HemiKids and EHow websites.