Cerebral Palsy – Learn Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a blanket term for several disorders that affect normal, healthy movement. Over 10,000 children are diagnosed each year.Cerebral Palsy Defined

Cerebral palsy (commonly referred to as CP) affects normal movement in different parts of the body and has many degrees of severity.

CP causes problems with posture, gait, muscle tone andcoordination of movement.

The word cerebral refers to the brains cerebrum, which is the part of the brain that regulates motor function. Palsy describes the paralysis of voluntary movement in certain parts of the body.

Some children with CP also have coexistingconditions, such as vision and hearing impairment. These disorders are caused by brain damage and are not a direct result of onescerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy does not generally affect life expectancy. Depending on how the condition is managed, motor skills can improve or decline over time. Whilesymptoms and severityvary from case tocase, mostpeople diagnosed with this condition go on to leada rich, fulfillinglife.

The brain controls all types of motor functions that allow people to live as independently as possible. Motor control can be voluntary, such as reaching out to shake someones hand. It can also be involuntary, such as the reflex when a doctor taps a spot just below a patients knee.

When the motor control centers in the brain are damaged, voluntary and involuntary motor skills do not function properly. This can present an array of challenges related toones ability to walk, talk or completeeveryday tasks independently.

Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood physical disability

There are 4 main types of cerebral palsy:

CP is a non-progressive disorder,

2 in 3people

3 in 4 people with CP are able to verbally communicate.

Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the fetal or infant brain. It occurs when there is neurological damage before, during, or within five years of birth that prevents the brain from developing properly.

Damage to the parts of the brain that control motor function causes children with CP to struggle with posture, balance and movement. Although this disability affects muscle tone and movement, it isnt caused by problems with the actual muscles or nerves it is strictly the result ofdevelopmental brain damage.

The first question many parentshave following a recent CP diagnosis iswhat could have caused their childs brain injury. Its important that parents work with doctors and specialistsin order to concludewhich factors may have contributed to their childs condition.

Common causes of CP include:

Not every case of cerebral palsy has a clear cut explanation. Its estimated that 20 to 50 percent of cases have unknown causes. Clinical trials are just one techniquebeing used to conduct further research on the potential causes of CP.

Some children develop cerebral palsy as the result of a birth injury caused by medical negligence. While rare, these casesare usually the product of a delivery room meltdown. Parents who suspect their childs condition is due to negligence on the part of the doctors, nurses or hospital facility may wishto pursue a free legal case evaluation.

A cerebral palsy lawyercan evaluate the details of your casein order to determine if there is enough evidence to suggest medical neglect or malpractice took place. For parents who areconsidering filingfor a case evaluation, it is essential to seek outan attorney specializing in birth injury cases caused by negligence.

Could filing a lawsuit help cover the cost of your childs treatment?

Get your free case evaluation

Infants born prematurely are at a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy because of the complications that arise in thesebirths, such as bleeding in the brain. Estimates show that 10 to 30 percent of people with cerebral palsy were born prematurely. A low birth weight canalso increase the chances of developingCP.

Some additional risk factors include:

Thesymptoms of cerebral palsy are different for every child. Some symptoms are hardly noticeable, while others are more intense. The severity of a childs brain injury will ultimately determine the symptoms that develop.

The most common signs of cerebral palsy are:

Damage to the developing brain can cause an array ofhealth complications, in addition to CP. There are a number ofcoexisting conditionsthatoccur more frequently among those with cerebral palsy when compared to the general population.

Common conditions that may be present alongside cerebral palsy include:

There are a fewdifferent typesof cerebral palsy. CP is classified by the type and location of movement problems. There are also different levels of severity among each case of cerebral palsy.

The 4 main types are:

Cerebral palsy is also grouped by the severity or location of paralysis stemming from damage to the developing brain.This is described using the suffix plegia, or paralysis, of one or more limbs.

The location of paralysis is described as:

These classifications illustratehow distinct each cerebral palsy diagnosis is.One person may be diagnosed with spastic diplegia, for instance, while another is diagnosed with athetoid/dyskinetic hemiplegia.

A cerebral palsydiagnosis usually takes place anywhere between18 months and 5 years of age. Parents and caregivers are usually the first to notice delays in a childs development, which is one of the first signs of cerebral palsy. However, every child develops at his or her own pace, so doctors often hesitate to make an immediate diagnosis until further symptoms can be observed.

Several imaging tests may be used to diagnose cerebral palsy, including:

If youre concerned that your child is showing developmental signs of cerebral palsy, parents should seek out a CPspecialistwho can conduct observational analysis and administer diagnostic tests. Once adiagnosis is received, parents can begintaking steps toward embracing a life with CP.

Treatment for CPis twofold there is treatment early in life and lifelong management.

Early treatment for children with cerebral palsy is important because the developing brain and body are more resilient.This means that there are more opportunities to correct or improve some of the childs mobility limitationsduring this time.

Treatment isnt focused on curing or fully correcting achilds CP. Rather, its about nurturing a childs development so they can live as independently as possible. Many children with cerebral palsy are completely self-sufficient and have satisfying, meaningful lives. Actively treating the symptomsthat coincide with CP is the best way to ensure the highest quality of life for a child as they transition into adulthood.

Children with cerebral palsy can improve their motor skills with the help of traditional and alternative therapy, medication, surgery and more. Parents should seek out a multidisciplinary team of specialists to effectively treat their childs condition.

The multidisciplinary team may include:

To learn more about the condition of cerebral palsy and various treatment options, try downloading our free Cerebral Palsy Guide, which includes over 60 pages of in-depth information for children and parents of a child with CP.

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Cerebral Palsy - Learn Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment