Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a broad term used to describe symptoms appearing in the first few years of life that impair (make difficult) control of movement and/or muscle tone.
The symptoms are caused by either faulty development or injury to the areas of the brain that control motor (movement) function and posture. Cerebral palsy may be passed on from parents (congenital) or acquired after birth. Common causes of cerebral palsy include:
• Head Injury.
• Meningitis.
• Genetic Disorders.
• Stroke before birth.
• Lack of Oxygen to the Brain.
• Prematurity.
Cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap. Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before 3 years of age. Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently
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Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical problems including:
• Seizures (convulsions).
• Mental impairment.
DIAGNOSIS
Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by:
• Testing muscle tone, motor skills and reflexes.
• Medical history.
• Blood tests if necessary.
• Imaging of the Brain and/or Spinal Cord (head ultrasound, CT, and/or MRI).
Although symptoms may change over time, cerebral palsy by definition is not progressive (does not get worse). If a patient shows worsening problems, the diagnosis may be something other than cerebral palsy.
CLASSIFICATION OF CEREBRAL PALSY BY LOCATION
Cerebral palsy can be classified by the number of limbs involved or by the movement. There is also a combined classification that involves a mixture of different variations of CP. About one quarter of people with CP have a mixed form of the disease.
• Quadriplegia - All four of the limbs are involved.
• Diplegia - The legs are involved with no arm problems.
• Hemiplegia - One side of the body is affected, usually the arm more than the leg.
• Triplegia - Three limbs are involved, usually one leg and both arms.
• Monoplegia - One limb is affected, usually an
The word “cerebral” means the brain and the word “palsy” means muscle weakness and poor control. Children or adults can be born with Cerebral Palsy or might be diagnosed later in life. The disorder may occur during the woman’s pregnancy, child’s birth, or after the child
Cerebral palsy (CP) has been described as a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing foetal or infant brain (Rosenbaum et al. 2007). Since I did not know that much about CP, I went
A Non-progressive Chronic Brain Injury, other wise known as Cerebral Palsy, is an irregularity that includes many different neurological disorders that occurs in infants and is typically detected in early childhood that affects body movement and coordination permanently. Multiple tests and assessments are necessary to properly identify that a child has CP. Due to the amount of care and equipment that is essential to meet the daily needs of a person with Cerebral Palsy, families often experience heavy financial burden and emotional weakness. The purpose of this information research brief is to highlight some of these struggles related to Cerebral Palsy and communicate more information on the subject to the readers.
Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition. As a result, it affects a person’s whole body and his or her brain, muscles movements and their body. Consequently
Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common reasons for chronic childhood disability, approximately 10,000 infants are diagnosed and up to 1,500 preschoolers are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. The United Cerebral Palsy Association estimates that m0re than 764,000 Americans have Cerebral Palsy. Between 35% & 50% of all children inflicted with Cerebral Palsy also have an additional seizure disorder with some level of mental retardation. They may also have learning disabilities along with vision, speech, hearing, or language problems.
2015). Cerebral Palsy has many different forms which are classified by the type and location of
The six types of Cerebral Palsy are clear in how they each affect patients. No matter what type of Cerebral Palsy they have, they will struggle with everyday activities whether it be intellectually or physically.
Exact etiological factors of Cerebral Palsy (CP) are not specifically known. Researchers have been doing much to decipher the causes of a child diagnosis of CP. What is believed up to this point is that there are several keys to the classification of cerebral palsy which in turn, lead o a greater understanding of what may have caused it. These classifications are made based off of the following; the severity (which is determined using the Gross Motor Function Classification System), the motor type determined (spastic, ataxic, or dyskinetic) and the topographical
Cerebral Palsy most often affects the muscles, such as the person will experience difficulty walking, problems with coordination, muscle weakness, and muscle spasms. CP will also affect a child's ability to develop, such as slow growth, or a learning disability. CP can also affect the way you speak, for example you could develop a stutter, or speech disorder.
These types are (1) ataxic, (2) athetoid, (3) hypotonic, and (4) spastic. In the ataxic form, the patient's voluntary movements are jerky, and a loss of balance is suffered. In the athetoid type, the person's muscles move continually. These movements prevent or interfere greatly with voluntary actions. A person with hypotonic cerebral palsy appears limp. The person can move little or not at all because the muscles cannot contract. Spastic cerebral palsy patients have stiff muscles and cannot move some body parts. A person with cerebral palsy may have more than one muscle disorder. The person may be only slightly disabled or completely
Cerebral Palsy, for those who don't know, is a disability that is caused by abnormal development of damage to part of the brain that control movement, balance, and posture. These problems mostly occur during pregnancy, however it has been known to occur during childbirth and shortly after birth. The disability itself is when a young child (the individual will have this condition forever, the symptoms are just noticed when they're young and growing) has weak muscles and tremors. There may also be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing and speaking. Often babies with Cerebral Palsy do not sit, roll over, or walk as young as some children. Seizures happen in 1/3 children with Cerebral Palsy. My sister is lucky enough not to get seizures, but it does effect others.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is brain damage. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not a disease, and it does not get worse. According to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, "Cerebral Palsy is a broad term for various nonprogressive disorders of motor function in people, resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Damage to the brain could occur before, during, or shortly after birth"(“Cerebral”). Since the damage is done during the brain’s formation, and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP might have problems with motor skills, muscle tone, muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulties swallowing or speaking, shaking, tremors, and
Cerebral palsy is non-progressive but some effects of cerebral palsy on the body may change through life stages.
There are some individuals that suffer a mild cerebral palsy form. Many people do not know that mild cerebral palsy exists because the symptoms of this cerebral palsy form are subtler and mild cerebral palsy patients are able to lead “normal” lives. Since cerebral palsy is caused from brain damage, the severity of the cerebral palsy is dependent upon how much brain damage exists. With mild cerebral palsy, as the name indicates the damage suffered has been minimal.
When diagnosing Cerebral Palsy, you want to make sure you receive the type and that you diagnose the other conditions such as speech problems that are also visible because of Cerebral Palsy. When a child is lacking certain developments that are suppose to occur when the child grows, physicians will observe through