Cerebral palsy is a neurological injury usually caused by a lack of oxygen in the brain or cerebral ischemia that can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or up to age 2. The child with cerebral palsy has severe muscle stiffness, changes in movement, posture, lack of balance, lack of coordination and involuntary movements, which require lifetime care.
Cerebral palsy is generally associated with epilepsy, speech disorders, hearing and visual impairment, and mental retardation, so it is serious, despite this, many children can exercise and even be Paralympic athletes, depending on the type of cerebral palsy they have. have.
- Cerebral palsy can be caused by diseases such as rubella.
- Syphilis.
- Toxoplasmosis.
- But it can also be the result of genetic malformation.
- Complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
- Or problems affecting the central nervous system such as cranioencephalic trauma.
- Seizures or infections such as meningitis.
- Sepsis.
- Vascularitis or encephalitis such as what.
There are 5 types of cerebral palsy that can be classified as follows:
When your doctor identifies that your child has cerebral palsy, you can also tell parents about the type of limitation your child will need to avoid false hope and help them realize that the child will need special care for life.
The main characteristic of cerebral palsy is muscle stiffness that hinders the movement of arms and legs, but can also occur:
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy may be made by the pediatrician after testing such as CT scans or electroencephalograms that test the disease, in addition, by observing certain behaviors of the child, it is possible to suspect that he has cerebral palsy, such as a delay in motor development and the persistence of primitive reflexes.
Treatment of cerebral palsy should be done throughout life, but it will not cure this disease, but it is very useful to improve the care of the affected person, improving their quality of life, and may require medication, surgery, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. . Find out more here.