Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy: Peel the Naked Facts!

It must be heartbreaking for parents to find out that their child has hypotonic cerebral palsy. Children with this condition will experience developmental disorders in their mobility and verbal abilities. To support hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy, parents need to provide adequate medical care and adaptive equipment.

Many factors cause hypotonic cerebral palsy (hypotonic CP) in children, such as viral infections, congenital diseases, or even inappropriate delivery procedures. Read through to unwrap the naked truth about Hypotonic CP and how to file a lawsuit if the condition is the result of medical malpractice.

Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy In Brief

A rare disorder that can affect muscle movement and various muscle groups is known as hypotonic cerebral palsy or ataxic-hypotonic CP. Muscle tone in children with this condition is lower than that of other normal children. Consequently, the child will be floppy because their muscles are weak so they also have difficulty moving.

Since it is difficult for them to move, children with CP will reach developmental stages more slowly, such as sitting, crawling, and standing. On the bright side, medical treatment, physical therapy, and bracing will help them to train their muscle tone movements.

Adequate and appropriate treatment is effective in maintaining hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy. Hence, this will enable children to move around or try to be independent.

Average Life Expectancy for Hypotonic CP

Parents can breathe easily since children with CP have a long average life expectancy. According to information from the Birth Disorder page, the life expectancy for CP reaches 20-70 years. Bear in mind that life expectancy is also directly proportional to the severity of hypotonic CP in children.

Quoting information from other sources (Cerebral Palsy Guidance) states essential information regarding this topic, as follows.

1. The life expectancy of a child with hypotonic CP will be even lower if they suffer from severe impairment.

2. Research data shows that 49% of severely impaired individuals die from pneumonia and 59% die due to respiratory problems.

3. The life expectancy of mildly impaired individuals in the general population reaches 22%. This data was obtained from the same study.

4. Advances in diagnosis and treatment provide a significant increase in hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy year after year.

Unfurl 8 Factors Affecting Life Span

Prior information states that children with hypotonic CP have a long average life expectancy. However, as a parent, you also need to know the factors that affect the life span. Here are the eight factors as cited on the My Child At Cerebral Palsy page.

1. Severity Level

The higher the severity level in children with hypotonic disease, the more significant it will be in their life expectancy. For instance, if the child has severe brain damage, this condition can lead to premature death. This premature death can occur in newborns, babies, infants, or toddlers.

2. Main Disability and Number of Impairments

The life span of children with hypotonic disease is also affected by an increase in the number of disabilities. The increasing number of impairments will lead to a further decline in life expectancy.

Hence, you need to provide adequate and proper care if your child has multiple impairments since this condition can cause multiple conditions.

3. Respiratory Functioning

The next factor influencing hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy is respiratory functioning. A respiratory system that is not functioning properly will make it difficult for children to breathe. Along the line, the body will lack oxygen and life-threatening heart conditions.

4. Feeding Difficulties

Some children with hypotonic CP experience feeding difficulties which often lead to decreased life span. For this reason, this condition causes them not to get enough food intake, making them susceptible to malnutrition. Moreover, a series of impacts due to malnutrition is a decline in the body’s immune system.

5. Mobility Restrictions

If a child with hypotonic CP can still use both arms and legs to move around independently, this will make him or her less dependent on other people. It can minimize the occurrence of pressure sores since they can move.

Meanwhile, children with CP who have mobility restrictions will be very dependent on their caregivers. In addition, those who experience spasticity can only sit or lie down. This leads to pressure sores and causes infection.

Correspondingly, hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy will also be reduced since the infection is life-threatening.

6. Seizures

If a hypotonic child experiences frequent seizures, this will also lead to a decrease in his or her life span. As a matter of fact, seizures indicate a brain injury causing cerebral palsy.

Prolonged seizures have a significant impact on life span because they cause a lack of oxygen. Other adverse health effects of prolonged seizures are muscle control, sensation, consciousness, and emotions.

7. Visual Acuity

Children with hypotonic CP may also have impaired visual function which leads to a decreasing lifespan. The reason is that impaired visual function indicates severe CP. If your child has good vision, it means he still has a long life expectancy.

8. Cognitive Functioning

Hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy is also affected by cognitive function. Studies note that approximately 30-50% of children with cerebral palsy experience intellectual disability. In fact, intellectual disability not only diminishes the life span of children with hypotonic CP but also in children who do not suffer from CP.

Handful Tips to Optimize Hypotonic CP Lifespan

Since technology and medical care are becoming increasingly sophisticated, parents can increase their child’s Lifespan with the following tips.

1. Provide medical care and physical therapy as early as possible.

2. Determine your expectations and goals when working with your child’s medical care providers.

3. In order to recognize symptoms that can lead to life-threatening complications in your child, educate yourself about hypotonic CP in its entirety.

4. Teach your child to learn coping strategies.

5. Collaborate with a therapist to teach children how to overcome stress.

What Can Parents Do If Hypotonic CP is Due to Negligent Medical Treatment?

Although the discussion points explain that hypotonic cerebral palsy life expectancy is around 20-70 years, this condition is soul-crushing for parents. If your child’s hypotonic CP occurs due to medical professional negligence in assisting with delivery, you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Work jointly with a lawyer who specializes in handling personal injury cases to get qualified defense and adequate compensation. Your attorney will also provide effective legal navigation.