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Cerebral palsy is a debilitating disease, affecting several individuals across the world. This article highlights all essential information that is pivotal to locating the symptoms and understanding the diagnosis and treatment procedure for cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an ailment concerned with the difficulties in the movement of a person, which also affects their ability to maintain balance. In most cases, CP is diagnosed mostly in childhood and is related to functionalities in the brain.
In general terms, it is concerned with the abnormal development of the brain or any brain damage that disturbs the concerned person's capacity to move limbs and control muscle movement.
Generally, the type of cerebral palsy a patient is affected with is determined by the body's movement. In addition, a concerning part of the brain helps doctors detect the nature of the movement disorder, which can be classified into the following:
In this case, the treatment for cerebral palsy is conducted based on which part of a body is affected.
The primary and pivotal symptoms of cerebral palsy include problems with movements, coordination and development of the overall body growth of a baby. An early signs of cerebral palsy are commonly detected during the first 2 to 3 years include:
In addition to this, there are lists of other common symptoms of cerebral palsy that are identified among infants based on their age:
Infants Younger Than 6 Months of Age
Infants Older Than 6 Months of Age
Babies Older Than 10 Months of Age
Additionally, the severity of this disease's symptoms depends on a child's other body condition and affects different parts of the body.
Most children having a condition of cerebral palsy are born with the condition known as congenital cerebral palsy. Generally cerebral palsy is caused due to the damage or abnormal development of parts of a child's brain. This may occur while a baby is still in a mother's womb or during or shortly after birth.
Let us discuss the most known origin of cerebral palsy, which affects the development of a baby's brain before birth.
Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL): PVL is a situation that refers to the damage in the white matter of a baby's brain. The white matter in the brain sends the signal to the entire brain and other parts of the body. When this part of the brain undergoes any injury, it breaches the connection between the brain and body, related to control movement.
A fetus's brain is susceptible to damage between 26 and 34 weeks of pregnancy. However, this damage can occur at any time during pregnancy.
Abnormal Development of Brain: Any disturbances in the natural growth of the brain development of a fetus can lead to abnormalities. These abnormal occurrences are responsible for the tampered transmission of instructions in the brain. Generally, common reasons for abnormal development of the brain of a fetus are infections, genetic mutations, fever, or trauma.
Shortage of Oxygen in the Brain: The lack of sufficient oxygen in the brain for a prolonged period can lead to acute damage and the emergence of cerebral palsy. In addition, an occurrence of extremely low blood pressure in a mother, damage in the placenta, or issues in the umbilical cord can accelerate low blood pressure in a mother. Mostly, excessive trauma or damage to an infant's head during the delivery causes an acute shortage of oxygen.
Bleeding inside the Brain: One of the consequential reasons for cerebral palsy is when a fetus undergoes a stroke. The cause of stroke in a foetus is mostly due to the blocked or broken blood vessels of the brain. Mostly, when a baby is suffering from blood clotting or heart defects in a mother's womb, it leads to a bleeding brain. In addition, sometimes, the abnormal formation of blood vessels or sickle cell disease can increase the chances of such an issue.
Apart from the above-mentioned cause, cerebral palsy can occur during or shortly after the baby’s delivery. Here are the potential causes of cerebral palsy in this scenario:
In addition to all the above-mentioned factors, a sudden stroke or fall in the blood glucose level also instigates the chances of cerebral palsy in babies.
The prevention of cerebral palsy becomes easy when there is proper awareness of the risk factors. Here are the common risk factors that are pivotal to keep in mind:
Furthermore, through different medical histories and a physicians' research, complications in birth like placenta detachment, uterine rupture, issues in umbilical cords and mothers bearing thyroid or heart problems increase the risk factor for cerebral palsy in newborns to a great extent.
It is always recommendable if the parents notice any abnormal or uncontrollable body movements of the child to consult with a specialised doctor. Generally, to obtain a clear vision that the child is facing cerebral palsy, the doctors perform a plethora of examinations and tests.
During the initial stage, the diagnosis of cerebral palsy begins with familiarising the child's medical history and progress. Upon detecting prominent symptoms of cerebral palsy, the practitioner tries to find out any occurrence of accidents or complications during pregnancy or delivery.
Finally, the conduction of an assessment of a child's body movement and learning potential lets the doctor carry out the following tests:
To prescribe remedies and start with the treatment of cerebral palsy, it is pivotal to detect the problems through the necessary test.
Once a clear indication of cerebral palsy is present in a child, healthcare professionals offer care plans that provide adequate relief. However, depending on health condition of a child, a concerned doctor can prescribe following treatment procedures:
In addition, for the treatment of CP in adults, doctors recommend most of them to live independently, like doing basic chores, getting a job, learning technological skills, etc. This greatly affects an individual's mind-set positively and increases their confidence.
In addition, therapists provide young children with devices that have contain pictures of daily objects. It helps them to communicate their needs and preferences.
Furthermore, this includes the prevention of muscle shortening and contracture to a great extent. Based on the condition of a patient, a specialised physician will prescribe different physical aids like an arm or leg braces for supporting limbs.
Apart from the therapies, other treatment options for cerebral palsy include medications and surgical processes that are offered depending on the patient's condition.
Doctors offer medicines that work to lessen muscle tightness, making it function smoothly and without any complications. Here is the most prescribed list of medication for cerebral palsy:
In some severe cases, healthcare personnel may prescribe surgical procedures to make any corrections on bone abnormalities. These procedures include the following:
In addition to this, depending on the severity of the condition, doctors may prescribe pain management methods to offer fast relief.
In addition to the above mentioned treatment methods, there are some remedies available to combat the feeding and drooling problems.
In case of people having difficulties swallowing food undergoes the following treatment which includes:
Like difficulties in swallowing food, drooling is also common for people with cerebral palsy. Again, this does not include any critical effect; however, the continuous saliva can cause irritation to the skin around the mouth area.
The following are the treatments for excessive drooling that a doctor may prescribe post the diagnosis of cerebral palsy:
In some cases of CP, a specialised physician may prescribe surgical procedures to impart comparative relief. Surgeries can help restore the curvature of the spine and treat problems related to the control bladder.
Though the exact causes of congenital CP are still unknown, however; there are certain measures considerations that lead to healthy pregnancy development. Here are the certain prerequisites that need to be followed before conceiving:
In addition to following the factors mentioned above, there are certainly other measures to follow during the span of pregnancy:
Those mentioned above are the basic factors that are crucial to consider before and during pregnancy to initiate smooth and risk-free delivery of a new-born.
It is pivotal to approach a specialised doctor for prompt remedies and diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The guardians must recognise certain symptoms like consecutive unawareness or abnormal body movements. Abnormalities in body movements can include stiffness in muscles, unbalanced coordination, and chewing or swallowing issues.
If there is an identification of these signs or symptoms for a prolonged period, then it is certain that an individual requires medical attention.
Cerebral palsy if not detected on time or non-receiving of proper treatment can lead to tampering of intellectual abilities and unusual physical sensations. However, with patience and proper care, a great amount of ailment can be overcome. Moreover, with an advancement of medical science and availability of quality expert consultations, the treatment result for CP can reach a level of optimism.
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Disclaimer #2: This information is added only for informative purposes and collected from different sources across the Internet. Digit Insurance is not promoting or recommending anything here. Please verify the information before making any decisions.
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