Cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect muscle movement and coordination. In many, cases, vision, hearing, and sensation is affected. The word "cerebral" means having to do with the brain. The word "palsy" means weakness or problems with body movement.
Cerebral Palsy Causes
CP is the most common cause of motor disabilities in childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it affects at least 1.5 to 4 out of every 1,000 children worldwide. The symptoms of CP vary from person-to-person and range from mild to severe. Some people with Cerebral Palsy may have difficulty walking and sitting. Other people with CP can have trouble grasping objects.
Cerebral Palsy Symptoms
The symptoms can become more severe or less severe over time. They also vary depending on the part of the brain that was affected. Some of the more common signs include:
- Delays in reaching motor skill milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, or crawling.
- Variations in muscle tone, such as being too floppy or too stiff.
- Delay in speech development and difficulty speaking
- Spasticity, or stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes
- Ataxia, or a lack of muscle coordination
- Tremors or involuntary movements
- Excessive drooling and problems with swallowing
- Difficulty walking
- Favoring one side of the body, such as reaching with one hand
- Neurological problems, such as seizures, intellectual disabilities, and blindness.
Most children are born with cerebral palsy, but they may not show signs of a disorder until months or years later. Cerebral palsy symptoms usually appear before a child reaches age 3 or 4.
Call your doctor or contact Trishla Foundation, if you suspect your child has Cerebral Palsy. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important.
Cerebral Palsy Causes
Abnormal brain development or injury to the developing brain can cause CP. The damage affects the part of the brain that controls body movement, coordination, and posture. The brain damage usually occurs before birth, but it can also happen during birth or the first years of life.
In most cerebral palsy cases, the exact cause of CP is not known. Some of the possible causes include:
- Asphyxia neonatorum, or a lack of oxygen to the brain during labor and delivery.
- Gene mutations that result in abnormal brain development.
- Severe jaundice in the infant.
- Maternal infections, such as German measles, and herpes simplex.
- Brain infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis.
- Intracranial hemorrhage, or bleeding into the brain.
- Head injuries as a result of a car accident, a fall, or child abuse.
Cerebral Palsy Types
There are different types of cerebral palsy that affect various parts of the brain. Each type causes specific movement disorders. The types of cerebral palsy are:
Spastic cerebral palsy: Spastic CP is the most common type of CP, affecting approximately 80 percent of people with CP. It causes stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes, making it difficult to walk. May people with spastic CP have walking abnormalities, such as crossing their knees or making scissor-like movements with their legs while walking.
Muscle weakness and paralysis may also be present. The cerebral palsy symptoms can affect the entire body or just one side of the body.
Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: People with dyskinetic cerebral palsy have trouble controlling their body movements. The disorder causes involuntary, abnormal movements in the arms, legs, and hands. In some cerebral palsy cases, the face and tongue are also affected. The movements can be slow and writhing or rapid and jerky. They can make it difficult for the affected person to walk, sit, swallow, or talk.
Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy: Hypotonic cerebral palsy causes diminished muscle tone and overly relaxed muscles. The arms and legs move very easily and appear floppy, like a rag doll. Babies with this type of CP have little control over their head and may have trouble breathing. As they grow older, they may struggle to sit up straight as a result of their weakened muscles. They can also have difficulty speaking, poor reflexes, and walking abnormalities.
If have any query related to cerebral palsy then feel free to contact Dr. Jitendra Kumar Jain at Trishla Foundation, No.1 NGO for Cerebral Palsy Treatment in India. This foundation gives new life to more than 15,000+ children affected with cerebral palsy, limb deformity, orthopedic and other physical disability problems.
