What is the Cause of Cerebral Palsy? | CerebralPalsy …

Cerebral palsy is caused by brain injury or brain malformation that occurs before, during, or immediately after birth while the infants brain is under development. But how a brain injury affects a childs motor functioning and intellectual abilities is highly dependent on the nature of a brain injury, where the damage occurs, and how severe it is.

The cause of cerebral palsy is a brain injury or brain malformation that occurs while the brain is developing before, during, or after birth. As a result of the brain damage during brain development a childs muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance can be affected. It can also impact a childs fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning.

Every case of cerebral palsy is unique to the individual. This is due in part by the type of injury, extent of injury, and the timing of injury to the developing brain. The brain damage that causes cerebral palsy is a result of either:

The brain damage that causes motor impairment in cerebral palsy results from one of four types of brain injury or brain malformation.

Lack of oxygen to the brain, asphyxia, or intrapartum asphyxia Learn more

When a parent first learns that their child has received a cerebral palsy diagnosis, they question What caused my childs cerebral palsy? Cause can not always be definitively determined in every instance. However, knowing about what caused a childs condition can be helpful.

A radiologist, neurologist or pediatric radiologist will share the data obtained through MRIs or a CT scan with the childs pediatrician who has gathered medical history, observations, lab tests, and developmental findings. Together, they will determine the type of brain damage and either diagnose or rule out cerebral palsy. Once brain damage or brain malformation is confirmed the focus quickly turns to the extent and location of impairment. Treatment, therapy and care plans are then made to help a child reach their future potential.

Often buried in the process is the full explanation of the cause. However, there are many benefits to determining the cause.

A family may receive peace of mind, health care practitioners can better treat and prevent the condition, school administrators can qualify a child for early interventions and education supports, and government agencies can provide many needed benefits. Having a formal diagnosis and cause determination assists parents in planning for their childs future.

And, importantly, parents may question whether anything they did, or failed to do, during pregnancy, delivery or beyond may have contributed to their childs condition. This is a heavy burden that parents needlessly wear. Knowing the cause of a childs condition can help lift this burden.

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What is the Cause of Cerebral Palsy? | CerebralPalsy ...