Cerebral Palsy

What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is the name given to a set of brain and nervous system disorders. These disorders affect certain functions like movements, hearing as well as learning. Not many people realize that there are actually different types of cerebral palsy and they include ataxic, spastic and dyskinetic cerebral palsy.

Causes Of Cerebral Palsy

Many of those diagnosed with some form of cerebral palsy will actually never determine the actual cause of it. However there are many known causes of cerebral palsy most of which are highly unpreventable.

Because cerebral palsy is caused by an abnormality or injury to the brain during its development it is usually first noticed in babies and infants. Unborn babies in the mother's womb can be affected as can infants up to around two years of age as their brains are still growing and developing.

Some of the known or more common causes of cerebral palsy are: brain bleeds or infections, head injuries, severe jaundice and certain infection of the mother during her pregnancy (such as rubella). Premature babies are also at risk of cerebral palsy as their development and growth continues outside of the womb. Lack of oxygen to certain parts of the brain can also cause injury and lead to cerebral palsy.

Symptoms Of Cerebral Palsy

As there are various different types of cerebral palsy the symptoms will vary from person to person. The degree of the symptoms can also range from being barely noticeable to quite severe depending on the damage that was sustained by the brain. Symptoms can affect one or both sides of the body and they can sometimes be more prominent in either the legs or arms.

Symptoms will usually be noticed in the first 2 years of a child's life and will sometimes be picked up at just a few months old. Babies will be experience delay in reaching milestones like crawling, sitting, rolling or walking.

As a child gets older the symptoms of cerebral palsy will likely become more noticeable as their muscles and joints struggle to function as they should. Muscles are often extremely tight and cannot stretch; this reduces movement and can get worse over time. Muscles can also become so weak that they lose movement altogether. An abnormal walk is a common symptom; knees are often crossed or even touching and they will tend to walk on their toes.

Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, arms and feet such as twisting or sudden jerking are fairly common and are likely to get worse when the person is under stress. A significant loss of coordination is common and expected when the loss of muscle strength is considered. Tremors are another symptom or side effect of this disorder and can be fairly unsettling for the parents or caregivers.

Other than the physical symptoms there are other symptoms that are common in cerebral palsy cases. They include learning disabilities, speech, hearing and vision problems, digestive problems and urinary incontinence. Those with cerebral palsy can also experience a lot of pain especially as they grow older into adulthood.