Cerebral Palsy is a neural disorder which involves problem with brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. Most of these problems occur in infants or as a baby grows in the womb, but they can happen at any time during the first 2 years of life, while the baby's brain is still developing. Here are some of the symptoms and signs of Cerebral Palsy.
A vigilant parent can track the onset of palsy very easily with the developmental delays that the child encounters, which can be a clear indicator of the disorder. Most cases of cerebral palsy are diagnosed in the patient’s infancy, from 18 - 36 months of age in almost all cases. Delayed progress in various stages in infancy like rolling over, holding the head, crawling and difficulty in controlling the arms and feet and other basic motor functions and these are the first symptoms of cerebral palsy. There may be some risk factors that are present in the mother’s or the child’s medical history. However such risks are not causes but only contributing factors to the palsy.
Diagnostic Measures for Cerebral Palsy
Asphyxia during birth, which results when the umbilical cord wraps itself around the baby’s neck cutting off its oxygen supply, also leads to cerebral palsy in about half of such cases. Other common features among those with cerebral palsy are lack of co-ordination, preference for either hand (which is considered too early for normal infants of that age to exhibit) or abnormal muscle tone or muscle stiffness and skeletal deformities.
Several types of tests and scans can be used to determine the affected area of the brain and the related affected parts of the body. A CT scan is employed to study the abnormalities or traumas in the brain and in cases where the scan is not conclusive, a MRI are employed, which produces images in much more detail.
In most cases the diagnosis of cerebral palsy depends on the medical history of both the mother and the child and so a thorough examination of both histories and any possible traumas during the prenatal, perinatal and post natal periods is vital for a complete diagnosis of the palsy. The person doing the evaluation of the child should be qualified in child behavior and in neurology to be able to identify all possible signs of the palsy. It is even more preferable if the medical evaluation is done by a pediatric neurologist so as to not miss any possible symptoms. Other lab tests can also be done as the need may be for the study of possible infections like blood work and urine tests.
Treatment Measures for Cerebral Palsy
The treatment of cerebral palsy is usually restricted to easing the symptoms like speech impediments, swallowing difficulties and providing other corrective measures for malformed limbs. Other problems can be solved with the required therapies and medications.
There are no standard treatments for cerebral palsy patients; each and every case is unique and the treatment has to be tailored to the individual requirement of the child involved. A treatment which has proved greatly beneficial to one child might not have the same benefit on another and so the medical practitioner and the parent need to work out a case-based treatment in each case.
The treatment procedure should be designed to help the person with palsy achieve his or her highest potential in life and to help them live them as comfortable and productive a life as possible.
Medical treatments include taking Botox, a toxin. In large amounts, it can be quite harmful and lead to paralysis, but in tiny amounts it is beneficial in controlling muscles and muscle tones. Therapies include physiotherapy and special equipments to help the patient gain the maximum mobility possible, with the goal of minimizing muscular contractures that limit movement. Braces, casts and splints may also be used to enhance the patient’s independent movement and comfort.
Some severe debilitating deformities might require the use of occupational therapy where the patient has to be taught to cope with the challenges of everyday life. Such therapy helps the child to learn to fend for himself in simple tasks like feeding and dressing, speech and language therapy.
It also helps the child with palsy communicate better and speech therapy helps in cases with hearing disability. Neurologists, ophthalmologists and other such specialists may be needed as the case may be to treat the patient with neurological problems like seizures or vision problems like strabismus. Many children with cerebral palsy might need the services of qualified specialist educators as they may face problems in regular schools with other children due to their cognitive, learning, speech or hearing and retentive impediments.
Identifying the problem is the first step – and once this is done with the help of informed parents and trained practitioners, the disease can be treated.
