Cerebral Palsy
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is defined by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke as "any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in
infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle
coordination but don’t worsen over time." Cerebral palsy is not caused by
problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in parts of
the brain that control muscle movements.
The signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child turns 3 and include:
* Lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements
* Stiff or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes
* Walking with one foot or leg dragging
* Walking on the toes, a crouched gait, or a “scissored” gait
* Muscle tone that is either too rigid or too limp
Most children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although it may not be
detected until later. A small percentage of will develop it as the result of brain
damage in the early part of life, brain infections such as bacterial meningitis,
or head injury. This disability doesn’t always create substantial problems, in
fact, many adults with cerebral palsy lead near-normal lives; especially if they
received therapy for cerebral palsy early in their lives.
Although cerebral palsy is incurable, treatments for cerebral palsy can be very
effective and may include:
* Physical therapy
* Occupational therapy
* Speech therapy
* Drugs to control seizures, relax muscle spasms, & alleviate pain
* Surgery to correct anatomical abnormalities or release tight muscles
* Braces & other orthotic devices
* Wheelchairs & rolling walkers
* Communication aids such as computers with voice synthesizers
Here are some other links you may find helpful:
4 My Child-Help and Hope for Life
http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/what-is-cerebral-palsy/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/ddcp.htm
Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities
https://www.azdes.gov/ddd/EligibilityReferral/frm_EligibilityRequirements.aspx