Cerebral palsy is a health condition that is caused due to a group of disorders which involve the brain and the nervous system. It affects functions such as learning, seeing, hearing, thinking and movement!
There are many types of cerebral palsy which include
• Spastic
• Dyskinetic
• Ataxic
• Hypotonic
• Mixed
The main causes of CP to occur are injuries and abnormalities of the brain. Infants are commonly affected by this condition since it occurs during the growth of the baby in the womb. There are many causes for this to occur such as – bleeding in the brain, brain infections like encephalitis, meningitis and herpes simplex infections, head injury, infections in the mother during pregnancy and severe jaundice. However, there are chances that it can occur during the first 2 years of the child too when the brain is developing, and premature infants have a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy. For some people who are affected by this condition, it occurs due to the lack of ideal oxygen levels in some parts of the brain.
The symptoms of CP vary from person to person. While it can either be mild or severe in some cases, it can even involve only one side of the body or both sides. Sometimes, it is more prominent in only legs or arms, while other times it can involve both arms and legs. Not only this, the various types of cerebral palsy had different symptoms which will identify its type. These symptoms occur usually before the child is 2 years old, sometimes beginning as early as 3 months too. If the child has delayed developmental stages such as sitting, rolling, walking or crawling, then the parents will have to take notice of this and get checkups done to test if it is cerebral palsy or not.
Treatment of CP differs according to the symptoms. There is no permanent cure for it; however it can help a person be independent and live by himself/herself without further complications. At home, the person should be given proper food with sufficient nutrition; this will ensure that he is strong and energetic. Proper bowel care should be practiced with the help of stool softeners, fluids and fiber. Laxatives and regular bowel habits will also help in this condition. Since kids spend maximum time at home, it should be kept safe and free from harm. Cerebral palsy exercises should be performed and care should be taken that the joints are protected from injury!
Cerebral palsy exercise is the best therapy that can be done to help your child become independent. Advantages of this include helping them increase flexibility, mobility, muscle strength and muscle tone.
