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Cerebral
Palsy exhibits a wide variety of symptoms, including:
lack of muscle
coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia);
stiff or tight
muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity);
walking with
one foot or leg dragging;
walking on the
toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait;
variations in
muscle tone, either too stiff or too floppy;
excessive
drooling or difficulties swallowing or speaking;
shaking (tremor)
or random involuntary movements; and
difficulty
with precise motions, such as writing or buttoning a
shirt.
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What Are the Early Signs
of Cerebral Palsy?
The early signs of
cerebral palsy usually appear before a child reaches 3
years of age.
Parents are often the first to suspect that their
baby’s motor skills aren’t developing normally.
Infants with cerebral palsy frequently have developmental
delay, in which they are slow to reach
developmental milestones such as learning to roll
over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk.
Some infants with cerebral palsy have abnormal muscle
tone as infants. Decreased muscle tone (hypotonia)
can make them appear relaxed, even floppy. Increased
muscle tone (hypertonia)
can make them seem stiff or rigid. In some cases, an
early period of hypotonia will progress to hypertonia
after the first 2 to 3 months of life. Children with
cerebral palsy may also have unusual posture or favor
one side of the body when they move.
Parents who are
concerned about their baby's development for any
reason should contact their pediatrician.
A doctor can determine the difference between a normal
lag in development and a delay that could indicate
cerebral palsy.
To
Learn more about Cerebral Palsy visit:
National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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How Can You Tell if Your Child Has Cerebral Palsy?
By William_Chang
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that usually affect the motor function of the person who has it. Cerebral palsy is not a progressive disease, meaning that the symptoms do not get either worse or better with time. Cerebral palsy usually affects either one or both of the arms and legs, though it seems to be a disorder related to brain injuries.
The exact cause of cerebral palsy is often difficult to pin down but has been directly linked to some injury to the brain or nerves before, during, or shortly after birth. Cerebral palsy can also occur from injuries or diseases sustained in early childhood, usually in the first two years of life.
Cerebral palsy can range in severity from just a slight arm or leg problem to very serious cerebral palsy, which can lead to complete immobility and a paralysis of several organs and limbs. Speech, eating, and learning impediments can also accompany cerebral palsy. The symptoms stay the same throughout the cerebral palsy sufferer’s life.
Cerebral palsy is a very common disorder that seems to be becoming more prevalent. Since cerebral palsy is often not diagnosed until a child is two years old, if the disorder is a mild case especially, then numbers are often not reported in a timely fashion. Over 500,000 people in the US have the disorder.
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Three main kinds of cerebral palsy include spastic CP, athetoid CP, and ataxic CP. Some cases of cerebral palsy have one or more of these three types. Spastic CP’s symptoms include a muscle stiffness that may make reaching or walking difficult. Athetoid CP results in some off-balance walking and also muscle tics. Ataxic CP symptoms include balance disorder and some difficulty in perceiving depth around them.
Cerebral palsy is a kind of movement disorder and as such is not curable. Treatment for cerebral palsy includes many types of therapies that can help the symptoms of cerebral palsy, however. Several kinds of surgeries have also proved effective in helping the cerebral palsy sufferer walk and reach again. Other types of external equipment such as computers, wheelchairs, drugs, alternative healing methods, massage, and others are becoming widely accepted worldwide due to their alleviation of cerebral palsy symptoms. Advancements in new technologies and medical treatments make the future look better for many who suffer from cerebral palsy.
Visit [http://www.cerebralpalsysource.com/
http://www.cerebralpalsysource.com/, the online destination for information about cerebral palsy. This website has hundreds of pages of in-depth articles on the different types of CP, treatments for CP, therapies and advancements in treatment, and information on alternative therapies as well.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Can-You-Tell-if-
Your-Child-Has-Cerebral-Palsy?&id=109741
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______________________________________________
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Types of and Causes of Cerebral Palsy
By David Chandler
Cerebral palsy is not a disease it is a condition. Cerebral refers to the brain and palsy means weakness or lack of muscle control. In addition, cerebral palsy is not a single problem, but a complex disease in which virtually all brain cell types could need repair. Approximately 90 percent of all cases are caused by brain injury during the prenatal period (before labor begins). This condition is caused by damage to brain cells that control the movement of muscles. A person with cerebral palsy can have mild to severe physical disabilities. There are varying degrees of therapies depending on the degree of condition. However, just because a person has cerebral palsy, it does not mean they will have other disabilities.
Causes and Risks
Recent studies suggest that cerebral palsy is mostly due to factors affecting the brain before birth. In about 70 percent of cases, cerebral palsy results from events occurring before birth that can disrupt normal development of the brain. This condition is caused by an injury to the brain during pregnancy, at birth, or shortly after birth. The symptoms are usually not noticeable at birth. It was previously assumed that it was caused by fetal distress, such as a lack of oxygen, during the birth process. However, lack of oxygen at birth has not been shown to be the major cause. The motor deficits of babies are usually unrecognizable before 4-6 months of age.
A preemie's risk of cerebral palsy is much higher than that of a full-term baby. In addition, exposure to herpes group B viruses was associated with a two-fold increase in risk. Reproductive/urinary tract infections also may increase the risk in a preterm delivery. Preemie's are already at risk for cerebral palsy and account for approximately one-third of the cases. Adequate prenatal care may reduce the risk of the unborn baby.
Viral infections, lead poisoning, or head injuries that occur early in life can result in acquired cerebral palsy, a less common condition. Spastic cerebral palsy, the most common type, is a condition in which there is too much muscle tone. However, cerebral palsy is NOT a progressive condition, meaning that it does not worsen over time. Cerebral palsy generally is a long-lasting (chronic) condition.
There are roughly 8,000 infants born with this condition each year and some 1,200-1,500 preschool age children acquire cerebral palsy annually. Most children are diagnosed by age 5. Despite significant improvements in obstetric and neonatal care in recent years, the incidence of cerebral palsy has not decreased.
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Types
Athetoid cerebral palsy affects the ability to control muscles, leading to involuntary and uncontrolled movements in the affected muscles
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of cerebral palsy. Approximately 60 percent of all individuals with cerebral palsy have spasticity that is characterized by tense, contracted muscles. Doctors will often describe which type of spastic cerebral palsy a patient has, based on which limbs are affected.
Ataxic cerebral palsy affects the sense of balance and depth perception. Children who suffer from ataxic cerebral palsy can be described as being very shaky and unsteady.
Symptoms
Children with cerebral palsy may develop eating difficulties, bladder and bowel control problems, breathing problems, and learning disabilities. Children with cerebral palsy have limited use of their arms due to the dysfunction of their neural motor control and stiffness of their joints. Dysarthria is common in people with cerebral palsy, due to problems involving the muscles that control speech and mastication. Although Cerebral Palsy is a permanent condition, as a person learns and grows and practices skills, more control over movement may be achieved.
Treatment
Treatment of cerebral palsy requires a team of specialists to help maximize and coordinate movement, minimize discomfort and pain, and prevent long-term complications. Because the symptoms of cerebral palsy can cause behavioral and emotional problems, many children benefit from counseling or behavior therapy. It is also not "curable" in the accepted sense, although education, therapy, and applied technology can help persons with cerebral palsy lead productive lives.
The goal of drug therapy is to reduce the effects and prevent complications. Physical, speech, and occupational therapy along with counseling today are employed to help people lead healthy, productive lives. Most children with cerebral palsy benefit from early and regular physical and occupational therapy. In addition, education, therapy, and applied technology can help persons with cerebral palsy lead productive lives.
Conclusion
With early and ongoing treatment, the disabilities associated with cerebral palsy can be reduced. People living with cerebral palsy are usually able to live independently in the community, with or without assistance. With support and treatment, though, many people with cerebral palsy can live healthy, happy lives.
For more information about cerebral palsy, visit [http://www.cerebralpalsyinfoguide.com] Cerebral Palsy
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Chandler
http://EzineArticles.com/?Types-of-and-Causes-
of-Cerebral-Palsy&id=152664
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