Child Brain Injury Focus: Cerebral Palsy

One of the many types of child brain injuries we receive questions about is cerebral palsy.  A number of forms of the condition exist; cerebral palsy is simply and umbrella term that refers to a number of neurological disorders which result in abnormal movement.  Cerebral palsy can occur at various times in young children:

• during pregnancy


• during childbirth


• or after birth, typically up to the age of three.

Commonly referred to as CP, the condition is caused by damage to the motor control centers in the child's developing brain.  According to the Mom Stress Relief website, almost 800,000 people in the U.S. live with CP, suffering problems ranging from mild to severe damage of the nervous system (the more brain damage that exists, the more severe the symptoms).  Although sometimes the symptoms may not be noticeable until the nervous system of the child becomes more developed, the most common symptoms reported are the following:

• limited motor skills


• seizures


• difficulty swallowing


• loss of hearing


• speech impairment


• skeletal deformities


• learning disabilities (in extreme cases to the point of mental retardation)


• and even  paralysis.

Often these symptoms occur due to the abnormal state of the muscles:  they are typically very relaxed or very stiff.  As a result, a child with cerebral palsy may hold his or her limbs in unusual positions, make jerky or abrupt (or sometimes slower) movements, and experience difficulty drinking, eating, or sucking.  Some CP victims may drool often or have trouble controlling their saliva, or they may aspirate food or drinks.  Children who suffer from the effects of cerebral palsy on only one side of the body may have shorter limbs on that side.

If your child has suffered a brain injury or has cerebral palsy, feel free to contact child brain injury attorney Chris Keane with your questions.  As a loving father and an advocate for injured children, he will answer your questions for free with compassion and regard for your unique situation. Click here to contact Chris Keane online or call 1-888-592-KIDS (1-888-592-5437).

Students With Brain Injuries Find Help in New Project for Concussion Management

Some children suffering the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) require unique resources and strategic teaching or study methods in school.  According to optometrist Lynn Helerstein, who treats brain injury patients for vision problems, a new resource has become available-- not only for those children-- but for those who are working with them.  Although many schools lack the preparation and resources to help these students achieve when they return to school after suffering brain injuries, the REAP Project is designed to help those students upon their return to the educational system.

Based in Colorado, the REAP Project (an acronym for Reduce, Educate, Accommodate, Pace) is a "TBI Trust Fund Education grant between Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children/Health One Emergency Departments and four school districts."  It is essentially a published manual of the results of a CDC-funded study from 2004 to 2007.  In the research of students with brain injuries (specifically concussions) as compared to student peers without brain injuries, the CDC discovered the two most important factors in all aspects of concussion management:  education and collaboration.  Specifically, these terms refer to good communication between "a School Team, a Family Team and a Medical Team" in creating a "community based concussion (mTBI) management program."  In short, the REAP Project and manual promote a "Community-Based Approach to Concussion Management" so that students who suffer from mild TBI can achieve greater success in their learning environments.

If your child has suffered a concussion or another form of brain injury, do not hesitate to seek medical attention.  Every brain injury is a serious matter and must be treated properly.  If you have questions regarding children and brain injuries, contact child brain injury attorney Chris Keane, and he will answer your questions for free with compassion and professionalism.  1-888-592-KIDS.

Is Your Shopping Cart Safe? Child Brain Injuries & Shopping Cart Falls

Some of the leading causes of head injuries in young children are falls from shopping carts, according to a report from the WIBW news website.  The majority of injuries from shopping carts in the U.S. involve children from ages one to two, with those injuries ranging from head and brain injuries to broken bones.  According to the report, many shopping carts are not as safe as they seem for children, specifically when children are seated in the carts improperly or, at times, even when they are seated properly.  Although following safety precautions when putting your child in a cart is essential, it may not prevent injury at all times.  An estimated 20,000 children under the age of five sustain shopping cart-related injuries each year in the U.S., with falls as the number one cause of these injuries (83% of them).  Many of these falls result in child brain injuries.  Since shopping carts vary in weight, height, dimensions of wheel bases, and centers of gravity, it may be difficult to know which carts are safer than others and which carts have flaws in their design.  Until all carts are designed to be safe for young children to use their seats, parents should consider alternatives to placing children in carts.

If your child has been injured in a shopping cart-related incident, feel free to contact child injury attorney Chris Keane with your questions and concerns.  The Keane Law Firm can provide you with important information regarding standards for warning labels, child restraint systems, and seat buckles on shopping carts.  We will also freely provide you with other resources concerning head and brain injuries, other types of child injuries, and how to find the best medical treatment.

Contact Chris Keane online or call 1-888-592-KIDS.

Relevant Link:

More Than 20,000 Children Annually Injured By Shopping Carts