25/03/2024
CEREBRAL PALSY
🌸What is cerebral palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a disorder that causes problems with movement and balance. It is a condition that babies are born with or that develops very early in life.
🌸The symptoms of cerebral palsy can be mild or more serious. Many symptoms are caused by weakness or stiffness of parts of the body.
🌺A baby younger than 6 months might:
- Have trouble holding up their head when picked up
- Have a stiff or floppy body
- Stretch their back and neck away when being held
- Cross or stiffen their legs when picked up
🌺A baby older than 6 months might:
- Have trouble controlling their neck
- Reach with only 1 hand, and keep the other hand in a fist
🌺A baby older than 10 months might:
- Crawl by pushing off with 1 hand and leg while dragging the other hand and leg
- Not sit by themselves
🌺A child older than 1 year might:
- Not crawl
- Not be able to stand up when holding onto something
🌺A child older than 2 years might:
- Not be able to walk
- Not be able to push a toy with wheels
Many children with cerebral palsy also have other problems, including:
●Trouble drinking or eating – This can lead to
•Not gaining enough weight
•Choking
●Acid reflux
●Lung infections
●Trouble thinking and learning
●Problems with hearing and speaking
●Trouble seeing
●Seizures – Seizures are waves of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The child might have jerking movements, get stiff, stop responding and stare for a few seconds, or pass out.
●Curved spine (called "scoliosis")
●Problems with bladder control
●Constipation
●Dislocation of the hip joints
●Pain – Children with cerebral palsy often have pain.
🌸How is cerebral palsy treated?
Early intervention is important
Treatments include:
●Medicines – that help treat symptoms such as stiff muscles, unusual body movements, or seizures.
●Physical and occupational therapy – This involves learning exercises, movements, and ways of doing everyday tasks to help make it easier to move.
●Equipment – These include devices such as leg braces, walkers, or a wheelchair to help your child get around.
●Nutrition – Some children need special diets to help them gain enough weight to be healthy. Some children need to get some or all of their food through a tube that goes directly into the stomach. This is called a "gastrostomy tube," or "G-tube."
●Surgery – For children with very severe symptoms, doctors sometimes do surgery to put the child's legs or arms into the correct position.
NB: wellness checks in children also assist in screening for signs of cerebral palsy
