Danny Burle asked:


It would be good to have some knowledge of the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Knowing the signs and symptoms of the disorder can ensure prompt therapy for the child with the condition. There are a couple of important facts that you should know about the symptoms of the condition.

* The symptoms are not the same for every child. There are three major types of cerebral palsy. A child’s symptoms will depend on the type that he has. He could have ataxic, atethotic or spastic cerebral palsy. The last one can further be categorized into spastic diplegia, spastic hemiplegia or spastic quadriplegia depending on the limbs affected.

* In some cases, a child could have mixed symptoms from the three major categories. The symptoms of cerebral palsy could therefore include stiff muscles, floppy muscles, asymmetrical gait, drooling, tremors, seizures, uncontrolled movement, foot dragging, scissors gait, difficulty swallowing and possible hearing and sight impairment.

* Some kids with cerebral palsy may also have mental retardation. This is not however, always so. In fact many individuals with cerebral palsy have mental capacities that are normal for their age.

* The symptoms do not have a set time frame when they appear. Some children may show signs and symptoms on the first few days and weeks after birth. Those who may have milder conditions may only show symptoms after a year or more.

* The symptoms of cerebral palsy can make movement difficult. This does not mean though that those with cerebral palsy can never function on their own. Therapeutic techniques and procedures can be designed to help children with the condition achieve their full potential. Many patients who undergo appropriate treatment can live enjoyable and fulfilling lives.

* Therapeutic techniques can range from special exercises to psychotherapy. Some of the methods such as exercises can be performed with parents at home. It is important to remember however that therapeutic programs should be tailor-suited to the condition and ability of an individual. A child’s particular program can be made with the combined assistance of several specialists.

* Specialists work together as a team to help treat the symptoms of cerebral palsy. A team of specialists may include occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychotherapists, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons and special education teachers.

* There are guidelines to follow in the diagnosis of the disorder. Specialists may seek to rule out other possible conditions that may come with similar symptoms. Your child’s doctor will also check such factors as reflexes, muscle tone, movement and visible limb deformities.

* Parents should know when to expect babies to perform motor tasks. Parents should be concerned if their baby is not able to learn to crawl, grasp, sit, stand or walk. This is especially so if the child is over one year of age. Consider seeing a specialist if you suspect that your child is extremely delayed in motor function.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy can be alarming. They do not however, spell the end of a good life for your child. Seek therapeutic assistance as soon as possible to help your child become the best that he can be.



Sandra

Allan Wilson asked:


Cerebral palsy affects approximately 800,000 children and adults in the United States.

CP is a chronic condition that affects body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development, or during infancy.

Cerebral palsy was considered a distinct condition in 1861. Dr. William John Little, published the first paper describing the neurological problems of children with spastic diplegia (also known as cerebral palsy). This is still sometimes called Little’s Disease.

Two children out of every thousand born in America have cerebral palsy. At least 5000 infants and toddlers and about 1,400 preschoolers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year.

There are 4 types of CP. This next set of tips will discuss these types, and their differences.

Spastic

Spastic cerebral palsy is characterized by stiff or permanently contracted muscles. 70-80 percent of people with CP have this type.

Athetoid

Athetoid cerebral palsy is characterized by uncontrolled, slow movements. 10-20 percent of people have this type of CP.

Ataxic

Ataxic CP is characterized by a lack of coordination and balance. This type of CP accounts for 10 percent of all cases of CP. Ataxic CP (or any kind of CP) is not degenerative.

Mixed

Mixed CP is when one person has two or more types of CP. The most common type of mixed CP is Athetoid/Spastic-diplegic or Athetoid/Spastic-hemiplegic.

Diagnosing children with CP at a young age is important. Here are some of the symptoms to look for in a newborn child:

- Lack of alertness

- abnormal cry

- Trembling arms and legs

- Problems ******* and swallowing

- Weak muscle tone

- Favoring one side of the body

- Abnormal reflexes

- Seizures

Abnormal muscle tone is very common in people with cerebral palsy. Even as newborns, their muscles may change from low tone to high tone. They can also go from floppy to very stiff.

If you’re concerned that your child may have CP, look for developmental delays such as:

-Rolling over

-Sitting up

-Crawling

-Talking

-Walking

Understand that it takes time to diagnose cerebral palsy, especially specifying the type of CP. If it’s for a child, his doctor will want to take time to do tests and examine him several times before making the diagnosis.

Age and Race

According to research, the following people have a higher chance of having a child with CP:

-A mother or a father under 20 years old

-A mother over 40 years old

-African-American ethnicity

Blood Type

There is a rare circumstance where the mom’s and child’s blood is incompatible. This is called Rh or ABO blood type incompatibility, and it puts you at risk of having a child with cerebral-palsy.

Micro-Organisms

In rare cases, your infant’s central nervous system can be attacked by micro-organisms. This will put him at high risk of developing cerebral palsy.

Doctor Error

Unfortunately, there are some cases of cerebral-palsy where the doctor was at fault. There are now a ton of lawyers that are dedicated to bringing these doctors to justice. If you think a doctor was at fault for your child’s CP, you can talk to an attorney.

Here are some of the other risk factors associated with CP:

-Bleeding in the brain

-Infection

-Lack of oxygen



Carol

Low Jeremy asked:


Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term referring to a group of various conditions thus no two people is alike even though they have similar diagnosis. There are three major classifications of cerebral palsy describing different impairments on movements and reflecting the damage area of the brain. They are Spastic, Athetoid, Ataxic or Mixed.

Spastic cerebral palsy is classified further by topography depending on the affected region of the body. The classifications include hemiplegia affecting one side more than the other, diplegia affecting the lower body more than the upper body and quadriplegia affecting the four limbs equally.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that is not progressive. An individual’s disorder can improve during childhood when extensive care from specialists is properly given. The injury of the brain is not progressive but adults with cerebral palsy shows signs of functional declines. This includes decrease in motion range, loss of ambulation or increased pain. They also have an accelerated process of aging, arthritis and osteoporosis.

Individuals with cerebral palsy can live independently depending on the severity of disability. Some may require personal assistant providing services on the daily living activities for individuals having cerebral palsy. Survival of individuals with cerebral palsy is associated with the ability to roll, ambulate or self feed.

Cerebral palsy has no cure but different forms of cerebral palsy therapy can help an individual to function more effectively. Standing frames can be incorporated reducing spasticity and improving motion range for people having cerebral palsy using wheelchairs.

The treatment is normally symptomatic focusing on helping the individual in developing possible motor skills and learning how to compensate lack of them. The disorder does not necessarily affect the life span of an individual so the treatment basically lies on improving the quality of life. Research shows that people with cerebral palsy availing the systems like Blissymbols, which is a form of augmentative, and alternative communication system are often successful.

There are also alternative treatments appropriate for cerebral palsy. There is an available not profit organization dedicated for health and development of children having some form of brain damage including children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

You can ask the help of the Institute for Achievement of Human Potential established in May of 1955 that has helped and treated thousands of children. They claim that a home program with a healthy diet, respiratory programs and clean air can help children with cerebral palsy and neurological problems without the need of medication.



Barbara