Cerebral Palsy – What to Expect if Your Baby is Diagnosed
No parent wants to hear anything other than that their newborn is perfectly healthy. Unfortunately, though, many find out that their child has been born with a disability. Cerebral palsy is among the most common childhood disabilities, but if you hear that your baby may have this condition it can come as a shock. Knowledge is power, though, and getting more information will help you understand what your child needs and how to provide the best possible life, in spite of disability.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral palsy is a disorder related mostly to movement. It affects muscles throughout the body in different ways, which means that symptoms and degree of disability varies widely by individual. Neurological damage in the brain underlies the impact on muscles and movement. This condition does not get worse over time, but it also has no cure.
Different types of cerebral palsy include spastic, dyskinetic, hypotonic, ataxic, and mixed. They are characterized by the different ways muscles are impacted by the condition. Muscles may be stiff, causing exaggerated reflexes, which are characteristics of spastic cerebral palsy, the most common type. Other types cause difficulty controlling muscles and movement, poor muscle tone, impaired balance and coordination, or a mix of effects.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
The ultimate cause of cerebral palsy is brain damage. The causes of the brain damage can be a number of factors: genetics that cause abnormal brain development, infections in the pregnant mother, a fetal stroke, a traumatic brain injury, or asphyxia, lack of oxygen getting to the brain. The damage that leads to cerebral palsy most often occurs during fetal development, during childbirth, or soon after a child is born.
Sometimes the cause of cerebral palsy is unknown or was not preventable. Unfortunately, though, there are also cases in which the damage could have been prevented. Mistakes made during delivery, for example, may be medical errors or malpractice. In these cases parents may want to turn to a lawsuit to get compensation for their child’s future care.
Symptoms and Potential Complications
Cerebral palsy is not always diagnosed immediately, but early interventions are important so knowing the early signs in babies is important:
- Stiff muscles or floppy muscles
- Delays in physical and motor development
- Difficulty feeding or swallowing, excessive drooling
- Favoring one side of the body
- Difficulty cuddling or holding, baby stiffens or pushes away
- Medical treatment. Treatments vary widely, depending on an individual’s symptoms and needs. Medical care may include surgery and medications. Doctors can also help fit children with mobility and adaptive devices, like braces and walkers.
- Therapy. A variety of therapies can be useful throughout the life of someone with cerebral palsy. Physical therapy, for instance, can help an individual gain mobility and improve muscle strength, balance, and flexibility. Occupational therapy helps a child learn to function with a disability. Speech and language therapy helps with eating, swallowing, speech, and language development.
- Other interventions. For children with learning or intellectual disabilities, early work with educational specialists can help with learning and academics. Behavioral therapists work with children to help them learn appropriate behaviors and emotional responses and to develop good social relationships with peers. Many kids with cerebral palsy will struggle with depression or anxiety, and mental health professionals can help them cope with these feelings.
As a child with cerebral palsy develops and grows, the symptoms may continue and new ones may develop. Other symptoms of cerebral palsy include tremors, involuntary movements, poor coordination, difficulty walking, difficulty with fine or gross motor skills, speech difficulties or delays, and seizures.
There are also many complications that can develop in someone with cerebral palsy. Many of these will continue to be issues as a child grows and becomes and adult: vision or hearing impairment, cognitive or learning disabilities, mental illnesses, behavioral challenges, gastrointestinal issues, incontinence, and oral diseases.
Treatments and Interventions
It is important for parents of a child with cerebral palsy to know that, although there is no cure for this condition, treatments do make a big difference. First, be sure your child is given a diagnosis as soon as possible. Earlier interventions may help even more than those that are delayed. Expect that your child will need a variety of medical treatments, therapies, and educational, behavioral, and mental health interventions:
The Outlook for Children with Cerebral Palsy
If your baby has received a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, know that the outlook doesn’t have to be grim. By getting the diagnosis now you are in a position to help your child get the necessary interventions and treatments. Work with a team of specialists, including your pediatrician, a neurologist, dieticians, education specialists, physical therapists, and others, and you will find that your child can live a productive, satisfying, and even independent life as he or she grows into adulthood.
