Child cerebral palsy consists of a movement disorder and muscle tone. This is a consequence of a process that damages the brain that is being developed during pregnancy, before birth. The symptoms are visible during the first years of life. In general, the most notorious is the malfunction of everything related to movement, including stiffness in arms and legs, involuntary reflex movements, difficulties when walking or behavioral disorders among others.
It is also possible that the patient has problems swallowing. In any case, the symptoms are very diverse and affect each patient in a different way. It affects between a 2 and 3 in every 1000 live births.
Causes of child cerebral palsy
Anomaly during brain development
Cerebral paralysis is caused by an anomaly in the development of the brain that produces most cases during pregnancy. The risk factors for the appearance of cerebral palsy can be prenatal, due to the mother’s health problems such as infections, alterations of the placenta, trauma or blood pressure problems among others; Around birth (perinatal) as premature baby, low weight, transmission of infections at the time of childbirth, intracranial hemorrhage; o Postnatals such as severe dehydration, cranial trauma, seizures, cardiorespiratory arrest or intoxication.
Some factors are:
– A mutant gene.
– Absence of oxygen in the brain due to complications during childbirth.
– Trauma as a consequence of a mother’s accident.
– Infections in the mother during pregnancy (measles, chickenpox, herpes, syphilis, toxoplasmosis …).
– Prenatal brain attack.
– Infection caused by the Zika virus.
– Bacterial meningitis contracted by the baby.
– Premature delivery.
– Incompatibility of blood group and the RH between the mother and the fetus.
In addition, cerebral paralysis patients have more risk of contracting other diseases and disorders such as: malnutrition, depression, respiratory disorders, osteoarthritis and vision problems.
Child cerebral palsy is classified according to the seriousness of the affectation: mild, moderate, serious or deep, or according to the functional level of mobility: from level I to level V.
Symptoms of child cerebral palsy
Great variety of symptoms
There are a lot of symptoms that may appear associated with child cerebral palsy:
– Rigidity in the limbs.
– Involuntary reflex movements (spasticity).
– Muscle sagging.
– Absence of muscle coordination (ataxia).
– Tremors.
– Difficulty walking.
– Generalized slowness.
– Difficulty swallowing.
– Babeo.
– Intellectual disability in various degrees.
– Urinary incontinence.
– Problems to speak.
These symptoms can affect the whole body or only one part.
Diagnosis of child cerebral palsy
VISUAL EXAM AND ANALYSIS
The diagnosis can arrive before delivery, immediately after it or a time later depending on the level of brain affectation. The doctor observes the symptoms and, in addition, needs various analysis to know the real state of the child.
Treatment and medication of child cerebral palsy
Prolonged medical care
Being a disorder that causes many problems in different parts of the body and throughout life, different specialists such as pediatricians, neurologists, physiotherapists, surgeons, speech therapists or psychiatrists are normally involved. In addition, the treatment includes a wide variety of medications to combat the large amount and diversity of symptoms.
Prevention of child cerebral palsy
Try to reduce risks
There is no sure way to avoid child cerebral palsy, but there are a number of measures to reduce risks by pregnant women. For example, it is important to have received the necessary vaccines and, above all, to go to the doctor with some frequency to know the general state of health of the mother and the fetus.
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