Causes, Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is an abnormality in moving and controlling movements; it is acquired at an early age and is caused by brain damage that makes it non-progressive. It is thought that about one in 500 children in the UK has some form of cerebral palsy.

The causes of cerebral palsy are many. It usually results from some damage to certain parts of the developing brain in infants. This damage to the brain generally occurs early in the pregnancy, when the brain is starting to form. However, it can also occur after birth or in the first few years of the life of a child. Various problems during birth, specifically inadequate oxygen, are root cause of cerebral palsy. So, it can occur before birth (prenatal), during birth or after birth (post natal).

Some of the cases of cerebral palsy are listed below;

? Infection, seizure disorder, thyroid disorder in the mother.

? Birth defects, especially those affecting the brain, spinal cord, head and lungs.

? Rh factor incompatibility, which is basically a difference in the blood between mother and the foetus that can cause brain damage in the foetus

? Certain hereditary and genetic conditions

? Premature birth

? Low birth weight (especially if less than 2 pounds at birth)

? Severe jaundice after birth

? Multiple births (twins, triplets)

There are innumerable symptoms of cerebral palsy, but unfortunately, the symptoms of this disease do not manifest in the early infancy. They begin to be obvious as the child matures. The problems and disabilities, associated with cerebral palsy, range from very mild to very severe. This range varies according to the brain damage. The symptoms may be very subtle and noticeable only to medical professionals. The symptoms include:

? Delay in controlling head, rolling over, sitting without support, crawling or walking.

? Limbs may be held in very unusual or awkward positions. For example, spastic leg muscles may cause legs to cross in a scissor-like position.

? The limb movement of the child may be abnormal, either unusually jerky or abrupt.

? Some of the children suffering from cerebral-palsy may be mentally retarded.

? About one third of the children with cerebral-palsy have seizures.

? The children might have speech problems and difficulty in speaking.

? A child with cerebral-palsy may not respond to sounds or have vision problems.

The vision problems include weakness of eye muscles. In addition to this, dental problems can also be associated with cerebral-palsy.

You need to monitor your child carefully to see if he shows any signs of cerebral-palsy, especially if he was born prematurely, had a low birth weight, or was subject to certain complications of pregnancy, labour or delivery. In case of a sign of any of the following, visit the health care provider of your child. The signs for which you need to be cautious are;

? Frequent seizures. The movements of child seem unusually jerky, abrupt and uncoordinated.

? Your child does not blink in response to loud noises by age 1 month, or turn his head towards the sound by 4 months

? Your child does not sit up unsupported by age 7 months.

? Your child does not say words by age 12 months.

? One eye of your child is turned inward or outward.

? There is some sort of abnormality in the walking style of your child.

Find more about Cerebral palsy here.