›› Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is
the term given to a set of developmental brain disorders that can occur
in newborns, infants, and very young children. It is not
progressive, meaning that it does not get worse with time, and
unfortunately does not get better either. Once a newborn or
young child develops cerebral palsy, the condition and its symptoms
will remain for life.
Cerebral palsy isn’t actually a disease, but rather a general
term used to describe any brain malformation in a newborn or young
child that leads to loss of motor ability. The name cerebral
palsy translates literally to ‘brain muscle
weakness’, and got its name due to the fact that it is
characterized by reduced control of skeletal muscles due to the brain
damage sustained. The most severe forms of the condition may
involve frequent seizures, inability to walk, and paralysis.
It isn’t well understood what causes cerebral palsy, though
it is clear that it most commonly occurs in children born prematurely,
who are underweight, and especially those with damaged, malformed or
underdeveloped hearts, spines, kidneys and or livers.
Problems with these organs contribute to the likelihood of a brain
malformation of the kind associated with cerebral palsy. It
was once thought that asphyxia was the primary agent behind the
condition, but it is now believed to be the cause of only around 10
percent of the cases.
Mothers who smoke, drink, or use illicit drugs during pregnancy
increase the risk that their child will develop cerebral
palsy. Infections that occur in the mother during pregnancy,
even mild and hard to detect ones, have also been shown to increase the
chances of the condition occurring. It is also much more
likely to afflict twins, or multiple births. Traumas during
pregnancy or childbirth may induce a malformation in the
child’s brain as well. However, the condition can
develop in children that were otherwise entirely normal and healthy at
birth.
Overall, the condition develops in around 0.2 percent of all live
births. The condition develops within the first 30 days of
postnatal life in over 80 percent of the cases, however it has
developed in kids as old as five years.
Although there is no cure for cerebral palsy, the motor difficulties an
afflicted child suffers from can sometimes be treated effectively, or
at least managed. Without treatment, problems with posture or
gait will often get worse as the child gets older.
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