The facts about cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy is defined as a set of permanent disorders of development, movement and posture. What this means is that an affected person may have difficulty with these things, although the degree may vary from individual to individual. For example, some people with cerebral palsy don’t have much brain damage, while others do. Some cannot sit or stand on their own, while others can, albeit with difficulty, and some can get around with a cane or walker, while others have to use a wheelchair.

This condition can occur through abnormal development during a pregnancy where the parts of the brain that are responsible for movement and balance simply don’t develop properly, or it can occur during childbirth for a variety of reasons, for example, oxygen from the baby could be compromised as he or she is being born. It can also occur shortly after birth for a variety of reasons. However, in three-quarters of cases, the condition occurs at some point during pregnancy, leaving only a quarter of cases occurring during or shortly after childbirth.

People with cerebral palsy may have a smaller than average head, a smaller jaw than others, and may also have a curvature of the spine that makes it difficult for them to stand up and walk. Some may drool, and speech and language problems are also common, possibly thanks to the smaller jaw and/or cognitive problems associated with the condition. Intellectual disabilities are also common, as are deafness and blindness, depending on the severity of the case.

Other symptoms of the disorder are poor coordination, stiff and/or weak muscles, and tremors. Some patients may also have trouble swallowing, and some babies with this disorder may not be able to suck properly, leading to many feeding problems.

There are different surgeries that a person with cerebral palsy can undergo to improve their life, but there is no cure. Surgeries would be used to help the affected muscles work better and to cut nerves to the affected areas for better use by the individual.

Physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and massage therapy are all things that are used to try to manipulate the muscles and limbs to function at a better rate than those without therapy. Keeping the muscles and joints moving will reduce the rate of muscle atrophy and help make the patient more comfortable.