Cerebral Palsy also known as CP occurs when there is brain damage to an infant. The child is diagnosed with CP before the age of three. Cerebral means parts of the brain; generally referring to the hemispheres or halves of the brain Palsy means the area of the brain is damage or not fully developed that controls body movements. Palsy effects the brain’s messages or ability to control movement in the muscles or nerves of the body.
With his lack of control of muscles, the child may have difficulty with movement, balance, locomotion, posture, speech depending on the parts of the brain that are damaged or not developed.
Athetoid CP has motor dysfunction that appears irregular, slow, jerky, and involuntary movements particularly in the limbs. This child may lack symmetry (not the same on both sides of the body) and the ability to stabilize their body. The incidence of Athetoid CP has been decreased greatly, due to treating pregnant mothers with jaundice and RH problems during pregnancy.
Ataxia is the lack of balance and inability to move smooth. Ataxia is often seen in children with CP, but rarely will this type of motor
dysfunction be seen alone in children with Cerebral Palsy.
CP has a third type the spastic form. Spasticity is seen by abnormal control of the muscles in the limbs. This may look like flexing of the muscles in the arms and legs. There is a loss of muscle in the core areas of the body also, the chest, stomach, back and neck. This makes mobility difficulty for these children. There are many variations in spastic CP. It can involve all four limbs of the body called quadriplegia, but it also may only effect only arm or leg (monoplegia). It may also just impair the legs (diplegia) causing the child to have trouble with movements such as walking and crawling.
Mixed CP is a combination of two of three types described above. Often in children diagnosed with CP, there will be a mixture in the
types of movement impairments. The types of movement difficulties can change over time. Lack of therapy and exercise can sometimes speed up the process of motor difficulty and the combination of two or more types of motor impairments. Mixed Cerebral Palsy patients will need constant medical care to assist with their development, and to find the right kinds of therapy. All CP patients can have normal intellect, but may have trouble talking and expressing their thoughts. CP varies from patient to patient on the severity and degree of involvement to the brain controlling motor movements.
About the Author
We were there as medical students – at labors and deliveries, following fetal monitor tracings and witnessing how birth complications can develop – and how the attending doctors and nurses dealt with the Cerebral Palsy issues. We’ve whant to give you’r chiled a beter life by using Dopaminergic Medicine, Anticonvulsants, Physical therapy, Speech-language pathology and much more.
