Home :: Family Health :: Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy - Cerebral Palsy symptom, treatment, causes

Cerebral palsy ( CP ) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious neurological disorders. Even though cerebral palsy affects muscle movement, it isn't caused by problems in the muscles or nerves.  It is caused by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements. Many children with cerebral palsy have a congenital malformation of the brain, meaning that the malformation existed at birth and was not caused by factors occurring during the birthing process. Cerebral palsy cause physical disability in human development, specifically the human movement and posture. Cerebral palsy is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the United States have the condition. Cerebral palsy is divided into four major classifications to describe the different movement impairments. These classifications reflect the area of brain damaged. The four major classifications are: Spastic; Athetoid; Ataxic, and Mixed. There are a number of other minor types of cerebral palsy, but these are the most common. Children who have cerebral palsy, or CP, may not be able to walk, talk, eat or play in the same ways as most other kids. More severe cerebral palsy can affect all parts of a child's physical abilities. A child with moderate or severe cerebral palsy may have to use a wheelchair and other special equipment. Sometimes children with cerebral palsy can also have learning problems, problems with hearing or seeing, or mental retardation.

Many individuals with cerebral palsy have normal or above average intelligence. Their ability to express their intelligence may be limited by difficulties in communicating. Cerebral palsy itself is not progressive; however, secondary conditions, such as muscle spasticity, can develop which may get better over time, get worse, or remain the same. The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be detected until months or years later. The early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child reaches 3 years of age. Cerebral palsy affects muscle control and coordination, so even simple movements - like standing still - are difficult. In patients with cerebral palsy, parts of the brain areas receive lower levels of oxygen at some point, but it is not known why this occurs. The symptoms of cerebral palsy differ from person to person and change as children and their nervous systems mature. Cerebral palsy may be diagnosed very early in an infant known to be at risk for developing the condition because of premature birth or other health problems. Some persons with severe CP are completely disabled and require lifelong care, while others display only slight awkwardness and need no special assistance. Cerebral palsy isn't curable. However, getting the right therapy for your child can make a big difference. Today, children with cerebral palsy benefit from a wide range of treatment options and innovations.

Symptoms of Cerebral palsy

Some sign and symptoms related to Cerebral palsy are as follows:

• Seizures.
• Difficulty sucking or feeding.
• Speech problems ( dysarthria ).
• Joint contractures that slowly get worse.
• Mental retardation.
• Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity).
• Difficulty with precise motions, such as writing or buttoning a shirt.
• Bladder and bowel control.

Cerebral Palsy is a term used to describe a number of nonprogressive movement disorders (often called SPASTIC DISORDERS if stiffness and spasm of muscles are prominent features) resulting from brain damage before or during birth, or in early infancy.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy causes may be obscure, or it may be traced to lack of oxygen before or during birth, severejaundice after birth, head injury. meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) or encephalitis, (inflammation of the brain). Cerebralpalsy may or may not be associated with intellectual disability. The degree of disability varies great1y, ranging from aslight reduction of control in one function (for example, speech or one limb) to complete loss of coordination of all voluntary movements. The common causes and risk factor's of Cerebral palsy include the following:

• Abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements.
• Birth trauma or premature birth.
• Certain infections in the mother during and before birth.
• After birth, the condition may be caused by toxins, physical brain injury, incidents involving hypoxia to the brain, and encephalitis or meningitis.
• Problems during labor and delivery can cause cerebral palsy in some cases.
• Babies that are premature or have a low birth weight .

Treament of Cerebral Palsy

Programs aimed at lessening the disability and improving quality of life include medica ltreatment to reduce the muscle spasm, psychotherapy, physiotherapy, speech training, occupational therapy and specialised nursing. With the help of dedicated carers and support from family and friends, many people affected by cerebral palsy can now be more independent and enjoy life more than in the past. Here is list of the methods to treat Cerebral palsy:

• Physical therapists work to help your child reach his or her maximum potential for functional independence through a variety of approaches including exercise, mobility training, orthotics or braces, and use of other equipment.
• For instance the use of a standing frame can help reduce spasticity and improve range of motion for people with cerebral palsy who use wheelchairs.
• Surgery can help repair dislocated hips and scoliosis (curvature of the spine), which are common problems associated with cerebral palsy.
• Occupational therapist may be used to help the patient learn life skills for home, school, and work.
• Severe muscle spasticity can sometimes be helped with medication taken by mouth or administered via a pump (the baclofen pump) implanted under the skin.
• Recently, the use of botulinum toxin injections has been show to reduce or delay the need for surgery.