Cerebral palsy is a cluster of disorders that affect coordinated movement and muscle strength. People with cerebral palsy often have exaggerated, floppy, unintentional, and unsteady movements. Posture may also be affected. Trouble swallowing, difficulty with balance, and reduced range of motion are also associated with the disorder. The cause of the disorder and how it affects quality of life varies from person to person.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy can be grouped into movement, speech & eating, developmental delays, and other symptoms.
Common movement symptoms include:
Common speech & eating symptoms include:
Common developmental symptoms include:
Other symptoms include:
Symptoms do not usually worsen with time, but they can become more or less obvious.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain during development. Usually, this damage occurs in utero, but it can occur shortly at birth.
Some factors that may influence damage to the developing brain include:
There are several risk factors associated with cerebral palsy. These include viruses like cytomegalovirus, rubella, herpes, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, and intrauterine infections in a mother, infant illness, low birth weight, premature birth, multiple babies in one pregnancy, and complications during delivery.
Cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed within the first year of life, but it can be diagnosed even later if symptoms slowly show. If a doctor thinks your child has cerebral palsy, there are several tests they can run to confirm the diagnosis, in addition to taking a comprehensive medical history.
These include imaging tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a cranial ultrasound to help a doctor visualise abnormalities, an electroencephalogram to view your child’s brain waves if they’ve started having seizures, and laboratory tests to identify any potential genetic factors.
If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, they may be recommended to specialty doctors for additional testing to evaluate their hearing, vision, speech, movement, and current development.
Other diagnostic information, like the severity of the cerebral palsy and the type of cerebral palsy, will help inform your child’s treatment plan.
Complications of cerebral palsy include malnutrition, mental health disorders, osteoarthritis, heart and lung diseases, and contracture, a condition in which the muscles begin to shorten. Contracture can lead to other bone and muscle issues like dislocations, bone bending, and lack of bone growth.
Treatment for cerebral palsy is lifelong and can include medication, therapies, and surgery.
Medications used to treat cerebral palsy include injections like Botox to relax the muscles, oral medication to relax the muscles, and medication to reduce drooling.
Physical therapy, occupation therapy, and speech therapy all play an essential role in a high quality of life with cerebral palsy, developing movement and speech capabilities and helping your child learn to navigate day-to-day tasks.
At times, orthopaedic surgery or nerve-cutting surgery may help relax chronically tightened muscles, reduce pain, help mobility, and treat contracture.