Cerebral Palsy: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Cerebral palsy manifests itself in violationmotor functions, which is caused by trauma or abnormal development of the brain, most often before birth. Usually signs of the disease appear in infancy and preschool age. Cerebral palsy causes stiffness of limbs and trunk, violation of posture, unsteady walking, involuntary movements or all of this together. People with cerebral palsy often have retarded mental development, problems with hearing and vision, convulsions. The implementation of certain procedures can help improve a person's functional abilities.

Causes

In many cases, it is not known exactly why cerebral palsy occurs. Cerebral Palsy is a consequence of problems with brain development that can arise as a result of such factors as:

• random mutations in genes that control the formation of the brain;
• infectious diseases of the mother, affecting the development of the fetus (for example, rubella, chickenpox, toxoplasmosis, syphilis, cytomegalovirus, etc.);
• violation of blood supply in the child's brain;
• Infantious infections that cause inflammation of the brain or its membranes (eg, bacterial meningitis, viral encephalitis, severe jaundice, etc.);
• head injury.

Symptoms

Cerebral palsy can be expressed in various symptoms. Problems with movement and coordination may include:

• changes in muscle tone;
• stiff neck;
• lack of muscle coordination;
• involuntary movements and trembling;
• motor impairment (for example, can not keep the head, sit alone or crawl at the age when healthy children are already doing it);
• difficulties in walking (for example, walking on half-bent legs or walking on socks);
• problems with swallowing and excessive salivation;
• delay in the development of speech;
• difficulty with precise movements (for example, can not hold a spoon or pencil in his hand);
• problems with sight and hearing;
• mental retardation;
• problems with teeth;
• urinary incontinence.

Diagnostics

To diagnose cerebral palsy, a doctorshould conduct a brain scan. This can be done in several ways. The preferred test is an MRI using radio waves and a magnetic field to obtain a detailed image. You can also make ultrasound and CT of the brain. If the child has seizures, the doctor can prescribe an EEG to determine if he suffers from epilepsy. To exclude other diseases that have symptoms similar to cerebral palsy, blood should be checked.

Treatment

As already mentioned, you can not completely curecerebral palsy. Rehabilitation is aimed at minimizing its symptoms. This will require long-term care with the help of a whole medical team of specialists. This group may include a pediatrician or physiotherapist, a pediatric neurologist, an orthopedist, a psychologist or psychiatrist, and a speech therapist. In the treatment of drugs used to help reduce muscle density and improve functional ability. The choice of specific medications depends on whether the problem concerns only certain muscles or affects the entire body. Cerebral palsy can be treated with non-drug methods: with the help of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy. In some cases, surgery may be required.