Understanding Cerebral Palsy Causes and Symptoms

A disorder that appears in the first few years of life, cerebral palsy occurs in two to three in 1,000 children. For effective treatment, early recognition is necessary. Here are important information that you should know about this disorder.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is an abnormality in the motor function of an individual which affects the balance, movement and posture. It is a non-progressive condition that does not worsen over time. Those who are born with cerebral palsy have normal or above average intelligence, but their ability to express this is limited by the difficulties with communication. Without proper interventions, they will not be able to do so, which substantially decreases their quality of life. There are three types of CP spastic, dyskinetic and mixed. Spastic is manifested by increased muscle tone such as stiffness and jerky movements. Dyskinetic is shown in uncontrolled movements which are slow and writing and inability to maintain balance and coordination. Lastly, the mixed type will show all the manifestations of both types that were abovementioned.

Cerebral palsy causes are injuries or malformations that happen during brain development which can occur before, during and after birth. Premature birth is one of the most common cerebral palsy causes, since the premature brain is at risk for bleeding. Babies who are born prematurely also are at risk for developing respiratory distress because of their undeveloped lungs. These can lead to a decrease in the oxygen delivered to the brain, thereby resulting in CP. Other CP causes include genetic disorders, stroke because of blood clots and abnormalities in blood vessels and brain infections. Child abuse is also a cause of CP, particularly severe shaking which leads to hemorrhage.

The cerebral palsy symptoms are not usually evident during infancy but as the child continues to develop, these will surely be noticeable. There will be significant development delays with walking, crawling, sitting without support and developing speech. Other cerebral palsy symptoms include abnormal muscle tone, abnormal movements, skeletal deformities, seizures, difficulty swallowing, and problems with vision, hearing and bowel movements. Speech impairments are also common in children with CP. You will notice that they have slow rate when speaking, distorted vowels, vague consonants and harsh voice.

The goal of treatment for a child with CP is to help him reach his greatest potential. There will be physical, occupational, medical and speech therapy. The physical therapy is aimed at developing muscle strength as well as flexibility and control. The child should be able to maximize his functioning and to avoid developing contractures. The occupational therapist will assist the CP patient in developing physical skills so that he can learn to be independent especially with the activities of daily living. For speech therapy, the goal is to overcome any communication problems so that the individual will be able to express himself. For medical therapy, this is aimed to prevent further problems associated with cerebral palsy and to treat whatever problems that are currently present.

The treatment of CP is indeed complicated, with so many people involved. However, these treatments are important such that the person will learn how to live his life with the best quality, despite his condition. It is important then to understand the different cerebral palsy causes and cerebral palsy symptoms.