Maiga asked:


My report is about CEREBRAL PALSY. Just wanna add some information to all who had knowledge about this disease. Thanks!!!

Jean

Heather asked:


I’m working with a 2 year old child for one of my classes that has mild cerebral palsy due to past abuse by his father. He can walk but his right side is stiff and he favors his left side. I need some ideas on what to do with him. A theme would be great. Thanks!
I will have a developmental interventionist with me. I just have to have a couple of lesson plans together when my professor observes me.

Tony

Paul Hata asked:


Cerebral palsy is not a disease but a condition, just like deaf.Children and adults with this condition should not be called as cerebral palsy children but children having cerebral palsy. Similarly for the deaf, one should speak person is having deafness and not to call him a deaf person.

What Is Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a non progressive neuromuscular disorder causing mild to severe disabilities throughout life.This condition is manifested as a group of persisting qualitative motor disorders which appear in young children due to damage to the brain during delivery or due to some pathological conditions in the intrauterine life.The neuroligical problems are multiple but non progressive in nature.Approximately 2 per 100 live birth is having this problem.This disease is having no hereditary tendency.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

1.Injury to the brain during delivery.

2.As a complication of forceps delivery.

3.Lack of oxygen supply to the baby during delivery.

4.Infections during delivery.

Signs and symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

The signs and symptoms may not be similar in all babies affected.Depending upon the damage to the brain there may be mild to severe lesions.

1.Mild cases - 20% children will have mild disability.

2.Moderate cases - 50% cases are having moderate disability.

The affected children require self help for assisting their impaired ambulation capacity.

3.Severe cases -About 30% of the affected children are totally incapacited and bedridden.

They always need care from others.

Abnormal findings of Cerebral palsy

1,Abnormal neonatal reflexes.

2,Stiffness of all muscles with awkward motion.

3,Extention of extremities on vertical suspension of the infant.

4,Scissoring of the lower limbs due to spasm of the adductor muscles of the thigh.

5,In severe cases the back bend backwards like and arch.

6,May have total or partial paralysis.

7,Arrest of neurological and behavioral developement.

8,Swallowing may be difficult in some cases.

9,Drooling of saliva.

10,Mild to severe mental retardations.

11,Abnormal movements are seen in some cases.

12,Tremors with typical movements.

13,If cerebellum is affected there will be loss of muscle tone with difficulty in walking.

14,Complete or partial loss of hearing.

15,Speech may be affected.

16,Squint and other visual problems may be associated.

17,Convulsions may be seen in some children.

Cerebral palsy is diagnosed by detailed clinical examination and by eliminating other similar diseases like brain tumour, progressive atrophy ect.All investigations like CT scan,MRI and routine investigations are needed to ruleout other diseases.

Management of Cerebral Palsy

1.General Management - This includes proper nutrition and personal care. Symptomatic medicines are needed to reduce convulsions and muscle stiffness. Diazepam can reduce spasticity and athetosis.

Dantrolene sodium helps to relax skeletal muscles.

2.Physiotherapy - Here massage,exercise, hydrotherapy and ect are needed.Special training is given to train walking,swallowing and talking.The affected children are also trained to hold articles for routine activities.

3.Rehabilitation - Moral and social support should be given to these children.They should be send to special schools where special training can be given by trained staff.Mentally retarded children need special training.Depending up on the disabitity special instruments and machines are given for locomotion and to assist their daytoday activities.

4.Occupational Therapy - This is given by occupational therapists.They train the disabled people to do some suitable works so that these people can have their own income.



Howard

Mrs?B2b asked:


I am waiting to be a “Big Sister” in Big brothers, big sisters, and they have a possible match for me. She is a girl with cerebral palsy, and I don’t know much about it. I have found info online, but it’s very clinical and I just wanted some insight on the condition from real people.

Any thoughts? Anything I should know about?

Don

Glynis Shaw asked:


Cerebral palsy is most commonly the result of failure of a part of the brain to develop, either before birth or in early childhood. This is sometimes because of a blocked blood vessel, complications in labour, extreme prematurity or illness just after birth. Infections during pregnancy, or infancy and early childhood, eg meningitis or encephalitis, can also cause cp. Occasionally it is due to an inherited disorder; in such cases genetic counselling may be helpful.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from child to child. Some children will have problems walking, while others will be profoundly disabled and require life-long care.

Cerebral palsy (cp) is not a disease or an illness. It is the description of a physical impairment that affects movement. The movement problems vary from barely noticeable to extremely severe. No two people with cp are the same; it is as individual as people themselves.

The main effect of cp is difficulty in movement. Many people with cp are hardly affected, others have problems walking, eating, swallowing, speaking or using their hands. Some people are unable to sit up without support and need constant enabling.

Sometimes the parts of the brain affected result in difficulties in vision, hearing, perception and learning. Between a quarter and a third of children and adolescents, and about a tenth of adults, are also affected by epilepsy.

People with cp often have difficulty controlling their movement and ****** expressions. This does not necessarily mean that their mental abilities are in any way impaired. Some are of higher than average intelligence, other people with cp have moderate or severe learning difficulties. Most, like most people without cp, are of average intelligence.

Improvements in maternity services and neonatal care have meant that fewer babies develop cp as a result of lack of oxygen (from difficulties at birth) or jaundice, but they have also meant that more babies with very low birth weights survive. These babies are more likely to have cp.

There are several different common types of cerebral palsy, each of which has different symptoms. These are explained below.

Spastic hemiplegia

If your child has spastic hemiplegia, they will have muscle stiffness (spasticity) on one side of their body. This is normally limited to the hand and arm, but sometimes also affects their leg.

Spastic hemiplegia may also cause your child to develop an abnormal curvature of their spine (scoliosis). They may have problems speaking, but their intelligence should not be affected by the condition.

Some children with spastic hemiplegia will also experience epileptic seizures.

Spastic diplegia

In this type of cerebral palsy, your child will experience muscle stiffness in their legs. This may cause difficulty walking, and they may need aids such as leg braces or a walking frame.

Communication skills and intelligence should be unaffected.

Ataxic cerebral palsy

In this form of the condition your child’s balance and depth perception will be affected (depth perception is the ability to judge where objects are in relation to your position).

They may appear clumsy and uncoordinated and have problems with activities that require precise movement, such as writing or tying a shoelace. They may also experience tremors in their hands (involuntary shaking), especially when they are trying to reach for an object.

Your child’s communication skills and intelligence should be unaffected, though their speech may be erratic.

Athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy

If your child has athetoid cerebral palsy (also referred to as dyskinetic cerebral palsy) they will experience both increased and decreased muscle tone. This means they frequently make apparently random and uncontrolled body movements. They will probably have problems with maintaining their posture.

Their speech will also be affected as they have difficulties controlling their tongue and vocal cords. Your child may also have problems with eating and drooling.

Intelligence is normally not affected in children with athetoid cerebral palsy.

Spastic quadriplegia

This is the most severe type of cerebral palsy, caused by extensive damage to the brain. Your child will have a high degree of stiffness in all their limbs, and may be unable to walk. Conversely, their neck muscles will be very lose and they may have problems supporting their head.

They will have difficulties in speaking, and the condition is also associated with a moderate to severe degree of learning difficulties.

Frequent epileptic seizures are common in children living with this condition.



Monica

Patricia Woloch asked:


The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one out of nearly 280 births will result in the child being born with Cerebral Palsy. This is up from the previous number of one in nearly 670 born with the injury.

Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common motor disabilities in children. It happens when one or more parts of the developing brain are damaged. While many researchers are not sure of the exact cause, many theories, including issues with the mother’s health, premature birth or low birth weight, multiple births, and oxygen starvation at the time of birth have been discussed. However, children born with Cerebral Palsy may have been injured by a health care provider. Some possible causes include:

• Prescribing inappropriate medications during pregnancy.

• Improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction.

• Failure to respond to fetal distress in a timely manner.

• Failure to respond to a baby’s lack of oxygen.

• Failure to treat jaundice in a timely manner.

Nearly 800,000 people are affected by Cerebral Palsy in the U.S. It refers to a number of neurological disorders which cause problems for children before, during, or just after birth. Sometimes these problems are not noticeable until the child’s nervous system matures. These problems can range from the very mild to severe. This is directly linked to the severity of the brain damage. Some common symptoms and effects of Cerebral Palsy include:

• Limited motor skills or paralysis – Muscles may be stiff or very relaxed. Limbs might be held in strange positions. Movement may be jerky and abrupt, or slow.

• Seizures – One-third of all Cerebral Palsy sufferers have seizures. They can appear early on or later in life.

• Learning disabilities – Disabilities depend on the severity of the brain damage, but some children are affected by mental retardation.

• Impaired speech – Because some of the muscles in the tongue and mouth may be affected, children may not be able to speak normally.

• Problems swallowing – People with Cerebral Palsy may have problems sucking, eating, drinking, and controlling their saliva. Drooling may be a factor. Aspirating is a concern, as sufferers may suffocate.

• Hearing loss – Child may not respond to sounds. Partial hearing loss is not unnatural.

• Skeletal deformities – If only one side of the child is affected, that side may have shorter limbs. This can lead to scoliosis or tilting of the pelvic bone, and may require surgery.

Early detection of Cerebral Palsy may increase your baby’s chances for recovering more fully, but he or she may still require different types of therapy for the rest of their life. This includes full time in-home care and possible institutionalization.



Nathaniel

BabyBella asked:


I was just wondering if anyone knew of articles about heat and warm climates affecting people with cerebral palsy or other similar conditions.

I noticed that my own mild CP drastically changed while I was in Mexico. My joint, muscel, and back pain were almost non exsistant.

Frederick

Alice Shown asked:


There are thousands of attorneys who handle cerebral palsy cases. However, having an attorney who is also a doctor can be extremely advantageous to your case.

A doctor is trained and understands labor and delivery. When a child is born with cerebral palsy, there are usually problems with the child’s heart rate prior to birth. A trained doctor understands how fetal monitor tracings should read. They are aware of unreassuring patterns can lead to decreased oxygen and cerebral palsy. A lawyer who is also a doctor is aware of how attending physicians and nurse are to deal with birth related issues that can result in cerebral palsy. Unlike an ordinary attorney, a doctor/attorney knows the standard of care and can recognize when this has been breached. Doctors are knowledgeable in pediatrics, obstetrics, radiology, and neurology as well. They understand the normal developing fetus and how to recognize any complications that can lead to cerebral palsy.

A doctor/lawyer can “read between the lines” in your delivery and prenatal records which can help determine if your child’s cerebral palsy or developmental delay is as a result of medical malpractice.

The familiarity with the terminology and procedures recorded in your medical records means that a doctor/lawyer can tell if you have a case the same day that these records are reviewed.

You only have one chance when you proceed with a cerebral palsy case. Many families have hired attorneys who are not doctors and the results have been far less than satisfactory. However, there is documentation that shows how having a lawyer who is also a doctor can generate record verdicts on cerebral palsy cases.



Troy

dreamer asked:


My boyfriend has cerebral palsy and we both want children when we get married. I tried looking this up online but it didn’t tell me anything. And I was wondering if a person with CP can ever have children?

Regina

Low Jeremy asked:


Do you have a kid with Cerebral Palsy? Do you want to know how to care for kids with Cerebral Palsy?

If you answered yes, continue reading this article in order to have a much clearer view about the disorder.

Cerebral Palsy is a kind of brain damage that usually occurs before, during, and after birth. This condition will often last a lifetime and there is really no cure for this condition. There are available therapies and medications that can make life a lot easier to patients with Cerebral Palsy.

However, since this disability affects the brain, there is no cure for this condition. So, you have to know how to adjust and care for these children in order to make their life and also yours a little bit easier.

There are several kinds of Cerebral Palsy that can be characterized by loss of motor skills or loss of nerve functions. Some severe cases of Cerebral Palsy will make all limbs useless.

There is no clear cause of Cerebral Palsy. But in some cases, Cerebral Palsy can be caused by medical malpractice during the birth of the baby. Insufficient health care or mishandling the baby can cause brain damage to infants even if they are still on the womb. With this, you can file a lawsuit against the doctor or the health institution to get the proper compensation you need in order to cope with Cerebral Palsy kids.

Kids with Cerebral Palsy require special care and a lot of money for medical treatments and therapies. If you don’t have the financial capability, you can always seek help with charity organizations that specializes in Cerebral Palsy kids. These organizations can help you with financial and emotional needs. They will be more than willing to help you with your situation.

If you think Cerebral Palsy in your kid was caused by medical malpractice, you can always seek the help of Cerebral Palsy attorneys. These people specializes with Cerebral Palsy cases and can really help you get the compensation you need in order to get the financial support that you will use in order to treat your children or at least make their lives more normal.

Children with Cerebral Palsy also need education. There are some schools that are specially made for kids with Cerebral Palsy that knows how to care and educate these kinds of kids.

You can easily inquire in the internet about the special educational program and enroll them in the school.

Some Cerebral Palsy kids have difficulty in speech. These special schools can really help with the development of your child’s growth even if he or she has Cerebral Palsy.

Always remember that there are ways to make your kid’s life a bit easier to live and also yours if your kid has Cerebral Palsy.



Ricardo