Your Child has Cerebral Palsy - You Deserve Help, Advice & Benefits!

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella-like term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time. The disorders are caused by faulty development of or damage to motor areas in the brain that disrupts the brain's ability to control movement and posture.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy include difficulty with fine motor tasks (such as writing or using scissors), difficulty maintaining balance or walking, tonal problems, abnormal sensation and perception, impairment of sight, hearing or speech, and involuntary movements. The symptoms differ from person to person and may change over time. Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical disorders, including seizures or mental impairment, but cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap.

There are three main types of cerebral palsy: spastic -- stiff and difficult movement; athetoid -- involuntary and uncontrolled movement; and ataxic -- disturbed sense of balance and depth perception. There may be a combination of these types for any one individual. Other types do occur, although infrequently. Cerebral palsy may be congenital or acquired after birth. Both ataxic and athetoid cerebral palsy may occur as a result of a basal ganglia damage - basal ganglia infarct, basal ganglia stroke, basal ganglia hemorrage, basal ganglia lacunar infarct, or any other kind of basal ganglia disease, basal ganglia disorder, basal ganglia degeneration or basal ganglia damage.

Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before 3 years of age. Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk.

Symptoms and Signs of Cerebral Palsy - if present in Infants and Toddlers:

Early Infancy (0-3 Months)

• Excessive lethargy or irritability
• High pitched cry
• Poor head control
• Weak suck/tongue thrust/tonic bite
• Oral hypersensitivity
• Decreased interest in surroundings
• Stiff or floppy posture
• Abnormal or prolonged reflexes

Later Infancy

Inability to perform motor skills as indicated:

• Control hand grasp by 3 months
• Rolling over by 5 months
• Independent sitting by 7 months

Abnormal Developmental Patterns:

• Hand preference by 12 months
• Excessive arching of back
• Log rolling
• Abnormal or prolonged parachute response

Abnormal Developmental Patterns after 1 year of age:

• “W sitting” – knees flexed, legs extremely rotated
• “Bottom shuffling” Scoots along the floor
• Walking on tiptoe or hopping

Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by testing motor skills and reflexes, looking into medical history, and employing a variety of specialized tests. Although its symptoms may change over time, cerebral palsy by definition is not progressive, so if a patient shows increased impairment, the problem may be something other than cerebral palsy.

Between 500,000 - 700,000 Americans have some degree of cerebral palsy. About 3,000 babies are born with the disorder each year, and another 500 or so acquire it in the early years of life.

Is there any treatment?

There is no standard therapy that works for all patients. Drugs can be used to control seizures and muscle spasms, special braces can compensate for muscle imbalance. Surgery, mechanical aids to help overcome impairments, counseling for emotional and psychological needs, early education, technology, and physical, occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy may be employed.

Early identification of cerebral palsy can lessen developmental problems and lead to appropriate intervention when it helps the most. Early intervention programs are family-centered in which professionals and families work together with the child in specific activities.

Also see:
Medical News & Latest Treatments

What is the prognosis?

At this time, cerebral palsy cannot be cured, but due to medical research, many patients can enjoy near-normal lives if their neurological problems are properly managed. As a child gets older and begins formal schooling, the intensity of services will vary from individual to individual. Persons with cerebral palsy are usually able to attain a substantial degree of independence but, in some cases, may need considerable assistance.

Services for the school age child may include continuing therapy, regular or special education, counseling, technical support, community integration opportunities, recreation and possible personal attendants. A key factor seems to be a supportive family. People extensively affected by cerebral palsy can still be highly functional and independent. The HEATH Resource Center, the clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities, states that a significant number of students with cerebral palsy are enrolled in colleges and universities.

Important advances have taken place in the last 15 years, which have had a great effect on the long-term well being of children born with cerebral palsy. Advanced technology, including computers and engineering devices, has been applied to the needs of persons with cerebral palsy. Technological innovations have been developed in the areas of speech and communication, self-care, and adapting living arrangements and work sites. The future may bring even more significant applications.

Another important development has been the increased ability of persons with disabilities, including those who have cerebral palsy and other severe disabilities, to live independently in the community. Adults with cerebral palsy are now living, with or without assistance, in their own apartments or townhouses. Independent Living Centers have also proven to be important resources for persons with disabilities.

Also see:
Medical News & Latest Treatments

What research is being done?

Research suggests that cerebral palsy results from incorrect cell development early in pregnancy. For example, a group of researchers has recently observed that more than one-third of children with cerebral palsy also have missing enamel on certain teeth. Scientists are also examining other events -such as bleeding in the brain, seizures, and breathing and circulation problems - that threaten the brain of a newborn baby. Some investigators are conducting studies to learn whether certain drugs can help prevent neonatal stroke, and other investigators are examining the causes of low birth-weight. Other scientists are exploring how brain insults (like brain damage from a shortage of oxygen or blood flow, bleeding in the brain, and seizures) can cause the abnormal release of brain chemicals and trigger brain disease.

Also see:
Medical News & Latest Treatments

…Did You Know?

• UCPA estimates that between 1 and 3 of every 1,000 births will have
  Cerebral Palsy.
• In 1997 in the U.S.A. there were 3,880,894 births according to the CDC.
• One of the signers of the Declaration of Independence had cerebral palsy.
  His name was Stephen Hopkins
• Cerebral Palsy may sometimes be called Little's disease. This is because of the work of a British physician named William John Little (1810-1894). "Little's disease" specifically referes to congenital spastic cerebral palsy particular spastic diplegia and spastic hemiplegia.

…Some Tips for Parents

• Learn about CP. The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child. See the list of resources and organizations on this site.
• Love and play with your child. Treat your son or daughter as you would a child without disabilities. Take your child places, read together, have fun.
• Learn from professionals and other parents how to meet your child's special needs, but try not to turn your lives into one round of therapy after another.
• Ask for help from family and friends. Caring for a child with CP is hard work. Teach others what to do and give them plenty of opportunities to practice while you take a break.
• Keep informed about new treatments and technologies that may help. New approaches are constantly being worked on and can make a huge difference to the quality of your child's life. However, be careful about unproven new "fads."
• Learn about assistive technology that can help your child. This may include a simple communication board to help your child express needs and desires, or may be as sophisticated as a computer with special software.
• Be patient, and keep up your hope for improvement. Your child, like every child, has a whole lifetime to learn and grow.
• Work with professionals in early intervention or in your school to develop an IFSP or an IEP that reflects your child's needs and abilities. Be sure to include related services such as speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy if your child needs these.

…Some Tips for Teachers

• Learn more about CP. The resources and organizations on this site will help you.
• This may seem obvious, but sometimes the "look" of CP can given the mistaken impression that a child who has CP cannot learn as much as others. Focus on the individual child and learn firsthand what needs and capabilities he or she has.
• Tap into the strategies that teachers of students with learning disabilities use for their students. Become knowledgeable about different learning styles. Then you can use the approach best suited for a particular child, based upon that child's learning abilities as well as physical abilities.
• Be inventive. Ask yourself (and others), "How can I adapt this lesson for this child to maximize active, hands-on learning?"
• Learn to love assistive technology. Find experts within and outside your school to help you. Assistive technology can mean the difference between independence for your student or not.
• Always remember, parents are experts, too. Talk candidly with your student's parents. They can tell you a great deal about their daughter or son's special needs and abilities.
• Effective teamwork for the child with CP needs to bring together professionals with diverse backgrounds and expertise. The team must combine the knowledge of its members to plan, implement, and coordinate the child's services.

Sources:

Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892

http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/cerebral_palsy.shtml
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs2txt.htm

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