According to Reuters, the maker of Botox, Allergan, Inc. received a subpoena from both the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia requesting documents regarding Botox and their promotional practices.

It is suspected that the subpoena is in relation to recent questions regarding the off-label use of Botox to treat disorders such as migraines and cerebral palsy.

Botox has been used to treat limb spasticity due to cerebral palsy, which is a disorder caused from damage to the cerebellum during birth.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that they were investigating the safety of Botox after reports were received of deaths associated with Botox injections.

Some of the reported deaths include children with cerebral palsy who were being treated with Botox. None of the reports included adults who were being treated for limb spasticity. In the United States, Botox is not approved to treat limb spasticity.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered severe illness or disability from premature birth due to the negligence of another, contact a birth trauma attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Of all children that are born before the seventh month of pregnancy, at least one third suffer from disabilities. According to a French study, the earlier the birth, the higher the degree of disability.

The study focused on 1,817 five-year-old French children who were born pre-maturely, from 22 to 32 weeks. The cognitive skills of the children were assessed using a scale that is equivalent to an IQ test. Their motor skills, such as walking, hearing and vision were also assessed.

The results of these children were compared with the results of a second group of 396 children who had been full term deliveries.

Of the premature children, five percent suffered from severe disabilities, nine percent suffered from moderate disabilities and twenty-fiver percent had minor disabilities. This is in contrast to the full term children, 0.3 percent suffered from severe disabilities, three percent had moderate disabilities and eight percent had minor disabilities.

The authors of the study interpret these results as meaning that the more premature a baby is born, the higher the chances of disability.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered severe illness or disability from premature birth due to the negligence of another, contact a birth trauma attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.

Researchers in Australia have concluded that viral infections, herpes in particular, are a contributing factor in preeclampsia, a condition that affects pregnant women, causing high blood pressure and premature labor.

The research extends over a ten-year period. A viral nucleic acid was detected in blood samples of 1,326 newborns. Of the tested newborns, over 400 developed cerebral palsy.

The findings indicate that further study is needed to determine why women are genetically susceptible to dangerous pregnancies due to exposure to viral infections.

In the United States, and worldwide, over ten percent of women pregnant for the first time develop preeclampsia. In some developing countries, high blood pressure during pregnancy is a leading cause of death.

The research group responsible for the findings has also found links between viral infections and the development of cerebral palsy, as well as mutations in the genes that control inflammation and blood clotting.

They also discovered a link between several genetic mutations that are hereditary and inflammatory proteins that can cause constriction and disruption of blood vessels in the placenta and brain of a pregnant woman. A disruption such as this often results in high blood presser during pregnancy.

Preeclampsia during pregnancy can be detected early, during regular doctor visits. A doctor can treat preeclampsia with bed rest and induce labor if necessary.

If your child, or the child of a loved one, has suffered birth defects or birth trauma as a result from improper guidance or diagnosis by their doctor, contact a preeclampsia attorney at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606. An experienced birth trauma lawyer will be able to evaluate if you are eligible to seek compensation.