Cerebral Palsy

People get many types of diseases. Some of the same diseases are congenital, while some come in the grip of the person over time. One such disease is cerebral palsy. Some get this problem from the time of birth, then some get cerebral palsy due to accidents in life. Its name is somewhat different, so people do not understand what this disease is. For this reason, further, we are giving information related to the causes of cerebral palsy, its types, and treatment of cerebral palsy.

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First of all, let us understand what is cerebral palsy.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that can cause problems with movement, balance, and posture. Here cerebral means relating to the brain and palsy means weakness or muscle problem. The cerebral motor cortex (a part of the brain) is also affected due to a complication of cerebral palsy. The cerebral is the part of the brain that directs the movement of muscles. There are also types of cerebral palsy, read the next part of the article to understand them.

Read more Cerebral Palsy Types

Now let’s read the types of cerebral palsy. After this, we will take a look at the causes of cerebral palsy.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

There are different types of cerebral palsy (CP). Some of these are like this.

1. Spastic Cerebral Palsy – This is the most common type of CP. This causes muscle toned, stiff muscles, and awkward movements. Sometimes it affects only one part of the body. In other cases, it can affect both the arms and legs, the torso, and the face.
2. Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy – Due to this type there is a problem in controlling the movement of hands, arms, legs, and feet. This can make it difficult to sit and walk.
3. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy – In this, the person has problems in making balance and coordination.
4. Mixed Cerebral Palsy – During this time, symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy are seen in the affected person.

Now understand the reason

Moving ahead in the article, know the causes of cerebral palsy.

Cause of Cerebral Palsy

Often, cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal growth or damage to the developing brain. This can happen under the circumstances described below.

• Abnormal development of the cerebral motor cortex during fetal development
• Brain injury before, during, or after birth
• Brain infection
• Lack of proper blood flow to the brain

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After knowing the causes of cerebral palsy, take a look at the symptoms of cerebral palsy.

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

When a person has cerebral palsy, then many types of symptoms related to this disease are seen in him. What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?

• Developmental delay
• Delayed learning to roll, sit, crawl or walk
• Abnormal muscle tone, these may feel hard or very soft
• Ataxia means loss of coordination of muscles while walking
• Spasticity, stiff and tight muscles
• Weakness in arms or legs
• Walking on toes
• Bow down
• Drooling
• Trouble swallowing or speaking
• Tremors in the hands, feet, arms, or soles
• Suddenly become uncontrollable

Note: Children who do not have cerebral palsy can show these symptoms many times, so contact the doctor so that the diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be done correctly.

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Know more about what factors increase the risk of having cerebral palsy.

Risk Factors for Cerebral Palsy

It is important to know the causes and symptoms of cerebral palsy as well as its risk factors. This will help to understand which people are more prone to it. Let us read further the risk factors of cerebral palsy.

1. Newborn – The risk of getting this problem is more for the baby than for older children. This may be due to brain damage in children.
2. Preterm and low birth weight – If a baby is born prematurely or is born with low birth weight, then such babies are at higher risk of developing cerebral palsy.
3. If the vaccination is not done – After the birth of the baby, if they get the necessary vaccine, brain infection can be prevented. If the vaccine is not given, it can lead to the problem of cerebral palsy. Also, even if the necessary vaccinations have not been done during pregnancy, the baby can still develop cerebral palsy in the mother’s womb.
4. Injury – Children can also be at increased risk of cerebral palsy if they are injured. They get injured when they are not given proper attention.
5. Multiple birth – When twins and triplets are born together, then those children are at risk of getting this problem.
6. Infertility Treatment- If someone undergoes treatment for infertility and gives birth to a child after that, then such a child is at high risk of developing cerebral palsy.
7. Medical conditions of the mother – The risk of CP for the baby is higher if someone has a thyroid problem, intellectual disability, or seizures during pregnancy.
8. Birth Complications – If any complications are seen at the time of birth, such as placenta detachment, uterine rupture, or problems with the placenta during birth, the oxygen supply to the baby may be reduced. This also increases the risk of cerebral palsy.

Now we will explain how it is diagnosed in order to do the cerebral palsy treatment.

Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy

1. Developmental Monitoring – During this process the growth and development of children are tracked. If the doctor finds any deficiency or defect in the development of the child, then he recommends a developmental screening test as soon as possible.
2. Developmental Screening – During this test, the physical development of the children and the delay in the ability to touch (motor skills) are checked. After doing this test, if the results are not normal, then the specialist can give some suggestions.
3. Developmental and Medical Evaluation – Developmental and medical evaluation is done to diagnose which disorder the child has. During this time the specialist may ask to make a number of diagnoses, such as:

• Checking the child’s motor skills, muscle tone, reflexes, and posture
• Understanding medical history
• Lab tests, genetic tests, and imaging tests

Learn more about how cerebral palsy treatment is done.

Cerebral Palsy Treatment

Once cerebral palsy is confirmed, it should be treated as soon as possible. If you want to understand how cerebral palsy is treated, then read the article further.

• Medicines
• Surgery
• Certain types of devices
• Physical, occupational, recreational, and speech therapy

Many research and government information suggest that there is no cure for cerebral palsy. Yes, with the help of some methods, people suffering from cerebral palsy can improve their lives. The methods mentioned above are considered the common treatment for cerebral palsy.

Now we will tell how cerebral palsy can be prevented.

Ways to avoid Cerebral Palsy

The genetic problems that cause CP are impossible to prevent. Yes, one can try to avoid cerebral palsy by keeping the risk factors of CP in mind. For example :

• Make sure pregnant women are vaccinated on time to prevent infections that can cause CP in unborn babies.
• Protecting infants and children from head injuries.
• If you are having a baby after having infertility treatment, avoid having more than one baby at a time. like only one at a time
• Get the embryo transferred to the womb.
• Getting health checkups done from time to time during pregnancy.
• Washing your hands from time to time so that the unborn baby does not get infected.
• Consult a doctor to avoid the risk of preterm delivery.
• Protect the baby from being jaundiced, as it can damage the brain.
• Always make a child wear a helmet while driving.
• Always avoid excessive shaking, dropping, and hitting the child.
• Do not leave the child alone in the bathtub or any part of the house. Always keep it under someone’s supervision.

You must have understood that cerebral palsy can be caused due to genetic reasons as well as due to later carelessness. One carelessness can become a life-long problem, so always be alert. It is not only that cerebral palsy will occur at a young age, but it can also be caused by brain damage done at an older age. In such a situation, the prevention of cerebral palsy is vigilance. Just keep yourself safe and stay away from diseases like cerebral palsy. If someone has had this problem since childhood, then with the help of its treatment, he can get some relief in it.

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