What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological condition caused by brain damage, and it is the most common motor and movement disability of childhood.
What Are the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?
As an umbrella term, cerebral palsy refers to a group of symptoms and disabilities. They are all related, but each child will have a unique and individual experience of cerebral palsy.
Some of the potential issues a child with cerebral palsy may face include:
- Movement and coordination: Movement and walking disabilities, Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes, Stiff muscles with normal reflexes (rigidity), Lack of balance and muscle coordination (ataxia), Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as buttoning clothes or picking up utensils
- Speech and Eating Disabilities: Delays in speech development, Difficulty speaking, Difficulty with sucking, chewing or eating, Excessive drooling or problems with swallowing
- Development: Delays in reaching motor skills milestones, such as sitting up or crawling, Learning difficulties, Intellectual disabilities, Delayed growth, resulting in smaller size than would be expected
- Other problems: Seizures (epilepsy), Difficulty hearing, Problems with vision and abnormal eye movements, Abnormal touch or pain sensations, Bladder and bowel problems, including constipation and urinary incontinence, Mental health conditions, such as emotional disorders and behavioral problems, Epilepsy
The brain disorder causing cerebral palsy doesn’t change with time, so the symptoms usually don’t worsen with age. However, as the child gets older, some symptoms might become more or less apparent.
What Causes Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain, but many different things can trigger damage. For this reason, the exact cause of cerebral palsy can’t always be determined. Possibilities include:
- Poor brain development in the womb
- Maternal infections or medical conditions
- Disruption of blood flow to the developing brain
- Genetic conditions
- Ingestion of toxins or drugs during pregnancy
- Damage to the head or skull during delivery
- Complications related to premature delivery
Types of Cerebral Palsy
There are four types of cerebral palsy:
1. Spastic Cerebral Palsy
Spastic cerebral palsy accounts for 75 percent of all cases. It causes increased muscle tone, known as spasticity, and other symptoms:
- Delayed developmental milestones for moving
- Abnormal movements
- Movement inhibition
- Stiff and spastic muscles
- Difficulties controlling muscle movement
- Problems moving from one position to another
- Spastic quadriplegia impacts a child’s upper and lower limbs and body, severely restricting mobility
Spastic Diplegia only affects the lower half of the body. Many of these children can still walk with some impairments and may need assistive devices such as walkers.
Spastic Hemiplegia affects one side of the body only, usually the arm more than the leg. Most children with hemiplegia can walk.
2. Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is the second most common type of CP. Symptoms include:
- Dystonia, repetitive and twisting motions
- Athetosis, writhing movements
- Chorea, unpredictable movements
- Poor posture
- Painful movements
- Difficulty swallowing or talking
3. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Ataxic cerebral palsy is the least common. It causes poor balance, limited coordination, tremors, and shaky movements that are difficult to control.
4. Mixed Cerebral Palsy
Mixed cerebral palsy causes symptoms characteristic of two or three of the other types. Spastic-dyskinetic cerebral palsy is the most common type of mixed CP.
How Is Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed?
Clinicians typically diagnose cerebral palsy (CP) when a child is 6 to 24 months old, since this is the time when they start missing developmental milestones such as walking and controlling hand and head movements.
During the initial exam, a neurologist or pediatrician obtains a complete history of the mother’s pregnancy and the child’s birth and infancy.
Next, your child may have a variety of tests, including:
- Brain scans: A brain scan may be used to look for signs of cerebral palsy.
- Cranial ultrasound scan – a small handheld device that sends out sound waves is moved over the top of your child’s head to create an image of their brain
- MRI Scan: A scanner that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce a more detailed image of the brain
- CT Scan: A scanner that takes several X-ray pictures to create a detailed image of the brain
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) : Where small pads are placed on the scalp to monitor brain activity and check for signs of epilepsy
- Electromyogram (EMG) : Where tiny needles are gently inserted into the muscles and nerves to check how well they’re working
- Blood tests: To check for problems that can cause similar symptoms to cerebral palsy
How Is Cerebral Palsy Treated?
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that has no cure, so treatments are focused on:
- Preventing or minimizing physical deformities
- Improving mobility and motion to the greatest possible extent
- Optimizing health
- Maximizing your child’s ability to succeed at home, at school, and in the community
Other treatments to treat symptoms, including:
- Medications
- Therapy: Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, Speech therapy
- Non-surgical Treatments: Seating and positioning aids, Orthotics, Special eating or writing utensils, Communication aids
- Surgery: Orthopedic surgery, Neurosurgery
Although CP is a lifelong condition that can’t be reversed, with proper medical and surgical treatment, children with cerebral palsy can lead rich, fulfilling lives.
If You’re Concerned
Living with cerebral palsy is different for every child. To help your child move and learn as much as possible, work closely with your care team to develop a treatment plan. Then, as your child grows and their needs change, adjust the plan as needed.
However, you should never feel that you are alone. Great support and advice for parents who have a child with Cerebral Palsy are available through the Dawn Bridge.