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Cerebral Palsy Research Paper

Decent Essays

CEREBRAL PALSY

Jose Martinez
Professor Bonome
Health Science
November 28th, 2014
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy, also known as CP, is a motor disability that affects a person when they are a child, and it is also the most common motor disability in found in children. CP is a lifelong disability, caused by damage to the developing brain, in which most cases it happens during the pregnancy(1). The main thing that Cerebral Palsy affects is a person’s ability to move and maintain balance/posture(2). The actual symptoms can vary among the individual. Some people with mild Cerebral Palsy, may have trouble walking properly, but can still do it nonetheless. But, someone with severe Cerebral Palsy may need special equipment to walk, and in some …show more content…

Depending on the region of the brain that is affected, the disability may differ. For example, a person may be affected with spasticity, or stiff muscles. Another person may be affected with dyskinesia, or uncontrollable movements(2). It is important to diagnose Cerebral Palsy at a young age for the wellbeing of the child. Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy involves several steps, Developmental Monitoring, Developmental Screening, and Developmental and Medical Evaluations(1). Developmental Monitoring would involve tracking the child’s growth, like for example every time that they go for a check-up at the doctor’s. Usually the doctor will ask if the parents have any concerns about the growth and the development of their child, and will almost always do this regardless to keep the baby healthy. Even though they do this with all children, those with low birth weight or other risk factors at birth may be monitored more closely than those born healthy. Screening involves a small test on the child that will show the doctor if the child has any motor or movement delays. These will be performed every couple of months, usually at 9 months, and then again at 18 and so on. Now keep in mind that even though there are

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