Cerebral palsy is a disease in which impaired posture and motor skills occur.
brain injury.
Cerebral palsy causes impaired muscle activity in the extremities, trunk, neck or head. There are several forms of the disease: from subtle to severe, leading to disability. In some cases, sick children may lose hearing, vision, and speech. The disease can affect the intelligence of the child. Cerebral palsy does not lead to death, but significantly reduces life expectancy.
Causes of the disease
Cerebral palsy- related conditions can occur at any age after an infectious disease, stroke, or skull injury. Damage to the fetal brain during pregnancy or childbirth causes cerebral palsy. The causes of occurrence in many cases are unknown. During pregnancy, the expectant mother could injure the fetus, having received any kind of injury, or receive a dose of radiation. Toxicosis, diabetes mellitus, the incompatibility of the blood of the mother and the blood of the child - all this can also be the cause. Cerebral palsy is not a hereditary disease. Not a single child is safe from him. Early / late birth or miscarriage can also contribute to the development of cerebral palsy, as a result of which the baby's head is injured.
Types of cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is a persistent lesion of the central nervous system. Five forms of impaired motor function can be distinguished:
- Trembling limbs (tremor).
- Frequent voluntary movements (athetosis).
- Imbalance (ataxia).
- Muscle tension that resists passive movements (stiffness).
- An increase in muscle tone, decreasing with movement (spasticity).
There are four groups at the location:
1. Monoplegic - one limb.
2. Diplegic - a violation of the functions of two limbs (either upper or lower).
3. Hemiplegic - partial or complete violation of functions on one side of the body of two limbs.
4. Quadriplegic - partial or complete violation of the functions of all limbs.
Cerebral Palsy
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy is carried out, as a rule. within two years after the birth of the baby.
For many people, cerebral palsy is a death sentence. After all, a child with such a disease actually has no future. Families in which such children are born often break up. Few parents continue to raise a child, often give him to homes of the disabled or to raise grandparents. However, the condition of a child with cerebral palsy can be improved through training, which is primarily aimed at improving muscle activity. A comprehensive program that includes constant muscle loads, psychological and speech therapy help, can make life easier for parents and children. Until the age of three, only conservative treatment is used, without surgical intervention. This period of life for parents is the most difficult, since the disease affects not only the physical, but also in 50% of cases on the intellectual development of the child. After three years, surgical treatment in a set of procedures will help normalize the musculoskeletal system, to the point that the child can sit, walk and even take care of himself, but, nevertheless, he will not be able to completely cure the disease.