Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination, caused by a problem with the brain that occurs before, during or soon after birth. The symptoms of cerebral palsy aren't usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable during the first two or three years of a child's life. Symptoms can include: The severity of symptoms can vary significantly. Some people only have minor problems, while othersmay beseverely disabled. Read more about thesymptoms of cerebral palsy. Speak to your health visitor or GP if you have any concerns about your child's health or development. Symptoms like those of cerebral palsycan have a number of different causes and aren't necessarily a sign of anything serious. Your child may be referred to specialists in child development who can do some checks and tests tosee if there is a problem. Read more abouttests for cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy can occur ifa baby'sbrain doesn't develop normally while in the womb, or isdamaged during or soon after birth. Causes of cerebral palsy include: But in many cases,the exact cause isn't clear. Read more about the causes of cerebral palsy. There's currently no cure for … Continue reading →

In this Article In this Article In this Article Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects your movement and muscle tone. The condition, also called CP, is caused by problems in the brain. CP breaks down into four main types, based on the movement involved: The most common kind is spastic CP. If you have it, your muscles are stiff or tight, or they spasm. Doctors break down spastic CP into three groups: If you have dyskinetic CP, your muscle tone might be too tight or too loose. Your movements are uncontrolled: either slow and twisting or quick and jerky. If the muscles in your face or mouth are affected, you might frown, drool and have trouble speaking. Dyskinetic CP breaks down further into these types: Ataxic CP, which is rare, causes problems with coordination and balance. If you have it, you might be unsteady when you walk. You might also shake, which could make it hard to do tasks that need steadiness, such as writing. People with this type of CP have symptoms of more than one type. Most people with mixed CP have a combination of spastic and dyskinetic. The biggest clue that your baby might have cerebral … Continue reading →

No single test can be used to diagnose cerebral palsydiagnosis involves understanding your childs medical history and identifying symptoms consistent with the condition. Diagnosing cerebral palsy as soon as possible ensures early intervention and a lifetime of excellent medical care. In some cases, cerebral palsy is diagnosed shortly after birth. Babies born prematurely or who have other significant risk factors are most likely to receive an early diagnosisoften via an MRI study that shows injury to the brain. A neurological exam with abnormal results also helps support an early diagnosis. With an early diagnosis, your baby might receive evaluations or consultations while still in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Once your baby comes home from the hospital, regular visits with cerebral palsy specialists play an important role in maximizing your childs health and abilities. Most often, children receive a cerebral palsy diagnosis when they are age 1 to 3. Children diagnosed as a toddler usually have a birth and medical history that increases their risk of cerebral palsy. Symptoms at birth, however, might not be clear enough to warrant an early diagnosis. You might suspect cerebral palsy if your child misses milestones (such as sitting up or crawling) or … Continue reading →

Have you ever heard a family member talk about your first step or the first word you spoke? For kids with cerebral palsy, called CP for short, taking a first step or saying a first word may not be as easy. That's because CP is a condition that can affect the things that kids do every day. Some kids with CP use wheelchairs and others walk with the help of crutches or braces. In some cases, a kid's speech may be affected or the person might not be able to speak at all. Cerebral palsy (say: seh-REE-brel PAWL-zee) is a condition that affects thousands of babies and children each year. It is not contagious, which means you can't catch it from anyone who has it. The word cerebral means having to do with the brain. The word palsy means a weakness or problem in the way a person moves or positions his or her body. A kid with CP has trouble controlling the muscles of the body. Normally, the brain tells the rest of the body exactly what to do and when to do it. But because CP affects the brain, depending on what part of the brain is affected, … Continue reading →

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that can affect the brain and/or spinal cord. Signs and symptoms generally appear during infancy or early childhood and vary based on the type of cerebral palsy (spastic cerebral palsy, dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy), the severity of the condition and which area(s) of the brain are affected. Common features include a lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia); stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity); walking with one foot or leg dragging; walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a "scissored" gait; and muscle tone that is either too stiff or too floppy. Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. Most of these problems occur as the baby grows in the womb; however, they can happen at any time during the first 2 years of life. There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but treatment is available to alleviate some symptoms. This may include physical, occupational, and speech therapy; certain medications; surgery; and/or devices (i.e. braces, wheelchairs) to aid in mobility.[1][2][3] Last updated: 11/18/2015 Visit link: Cerebral palsy | Genetic and Rare Diseases Information … Continue reading →

Cerebral palsyalso known as CPis a condition caused by injury to the parts of the brain that control our ability to use our muscles and bodies. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. Often the injury happens before birth, sometimes during delivery, or soon after being born. Physical symptoms typically appear in the first few years of life. Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk. Cerebral palsy occurs in 1 in every 300 children (Source: Center for Disease Control). CP can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild CP may mean a child is clumsy. Moderate CP may mean the child walks with a limp. He or she may need a special leg brace or a cane. More severe CP can affect all parts of a childs physical abilities. A child with moderate or severe CP may have to use a wheelchair and other special equipment. Sometimes children with CP can also have learning problems, speech, problems with hearing or seeing (called sensory problems), intellectual differences, and behavioral or emotional challenges. Cerebral palsy does not always … Continue reading →

Spastic cerebral palsy is the type of cerebral palsy wherein spasticity is the exclusive impairment present. Itself an umbrella term encompassing spastic hemiplegia, spastic diplegia, spastic quadriplegia and where solely one limb or one specific area of the body is affected spastic monoplegia. Spastic cerebral palsy affects the cerebral cortex[1] and is overwhelmingly the most common type of overall cerebral palsy. The Society for Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) estimates that the spasticity-only cerebral palsy classification sweeps in 90% of global cerebral palsy cases. But even if the 90% assertion is an exaggeration, more conservative scientific estimates still place the prevalence of spasticity-dominant or spasticity-only cerebral palsy at anywhere from 7080% of all cases, leaving cases dominated by ataxic cerebral palsy, dyskinetic cerebral palsy and athetoid cerebral palsy trailing at 2030%.[medical citation needed] People with the spastic/spasticity type of CP are hypertonici.e., they present with very stiff and tight muscle groups, far greater than typical humansand have what is essentially a neuromuscular mobility impairment (rather than hypotonia or paralysis) which stems from an upper motor neuron lesion in the brain. The corticospinal tract or the motor cortex may be secondarily affected. Spastic muscles are continuously contracting, or "tight", because the … Continue reading →

What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability of childhood. The term CP itself refers to a group of disorders that affect muscle tone, posture and movement as a result of damage to an infant's developing brain. Though the damage doesn't progress, its clinical expression and symptoms change over time with growth and development. Children with CP often have one or more associated neurologic conditions, including learning disabilities and developmental delays, epilepsy, problems with vision or hearing, and challenges with speech and communication. Often, there can be additional medical concerns such as feeding and nutritional difficulties, drooling, and respiratory symptoms. Although CP is a lifelong condition that can't be reversed, children with the diagnosis can lead rich, fulfilling lives with proper medical and surgical management as needed. Because CP is an umbrella term that can refer to several different types of brain injury, it's important to seek treatment from experts from many different disciplines who understand: The team of specialists in the Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Centerat Boston Children's Hospital provides interdisciplinary evaluation and treatmentfor children with CP and other neuromuscular conditions. We combine expertise in orthopedic surgery, complex care, neurologyand neurosurgery, among several other … Continue reading →

What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for describing a group of chronic disorders that impair a person's ability to control body movement and posture. These disorders result from injury to the motor areas of the brain. Cerebral palsy affects two to six infants out of every 1,000 births, and is the most common disability among children in the U.S. The problem causing cerebral palsy may occur while the infant is still in the womb or after birth, and the problem is not always detectable during a child's first year of life. Children with mild cerebral palsy may only have a minor limp or an uncoordinated walk, while patients with severe cases will require care and supervision throughout their lives. Many of the infants born with cerebral palsy also experience some degree of mental retardation and/or have seizures. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form and is the type seen in 75 to 80 percent of cases. Patients with this form are unable to relax their muscles, which respond by tightening further if the patient or someone else tries to stretch them. This spasticity affects the function of individual muscles, especially flexor muscles. When spasticity occurs … Continue reading →