Cerebral Palsy

Introduction

Types of Cerebral Palsy

Causes

Symptoms

Treatments

Risk Factors

Conclusion

Introduction

When I first found out about Cerebral Palsy I found out in a very different way. There was a family event and my cousin informed everyone that she was pregnate. Her pregnancy was very normal and there were no complications. Everyone in my family was so excited that my cousin was pregnant. Then it came to about nine months and two weeks and my cousin still hadn't given birth yet. She went to the doctor and the doctors had to induce her labor, so that the baby would come out. The doctors had feared that their may be something wrong with the baby because it was in the womb for so long, but they didn't know how serious it was going to be. Once my cousin gave birth, I went in to see the baby and I knew that it was something different about the baby because his hands and his legs looked different. I asked my mom what was wrong with the baby and she told me that he had Cerebral Palsy. I have never taken the time to find out the actually background information or any doctors information on Cerebral Palsy, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity.

Some people may ask what Cerebral Palsy actually is, it is a disorder that affects the motor skills and also causes physical disorders that may be related to the brain. With it affecting the motor skills it hinders some muscles in the body to not function properly. For example my cousin's fingers do not straighten all the way at the knuckles because of the disorder. Cerebral Palsy can also be broken down into two sections. "Cerebral refers to brain injury. Palsy describes the resulting lack of muscle control that affects a person's ability to move and to maintain balance and posture" ( Turnbull, 2007). Through out the paper I will be discussing the causes, symptoms, treatments, and the limitations of a person with Cerebral Palsy.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

"Approximately six cases of cerebral palsy occur in every 1,000 live births in the Western world" (Nervous system disease, 2007). Cerebral Palsy is broken down into four different types. They include spastic, athetoid, and ataxic forms. It is stated that the most common type of Cerebral Palsy is the spastic form. The spastic form is when a persons muscles are abnormally stiff and do not function when they are trying to be used, it is also identified by the number of limbs that are affected (Anderson & Clarke, 1982). The athetoid form of Cerebral Palsy occurs when the brain is damaged and this causes abnormal posture and involuntary movements. Ataxia form is known to less common than the other two forms of Cerebral Palsy. Ataxia is damage to the cerebellum that causes balance and coordination to be affected (Anderson & Clarke, 1982). According to Turnbull there is an additional form of Cerebral Palsy known as the mixed form. With the mixed form it combines muscle to and the involuntary movements. This occurs when there is injury to more than one area of the brain.

Causes

According to Bachrach the actual cause of Cerebral Palsy is unknown, but many diagnoses are due to complications during the pregnancy process where the baby is under developed or isn't developed properly. Some causes may be infections, genetic disorders, malnutrition, thyroid function, and low birth weight. Also complications during the labor of the baby can have an affect. Some may include if the baby isn't getting enough oxygen during the labor. There have been many questions concerning this cause of Cerebral Palsy. Many doctors have been in the hot seat for being responsible for the baby receiving enough oxygen during the labor. Doctors have also had to take the responsibility for babies that have Cerebral Palsy due to their malpractice.

Just to touch back on the story earlier this became a question that my family members asked when my cousin gave birth. Family members wanted to know if this could have been prevented or if it was the doctor's fault in any way. The doctor that performed the delivery was under investigation. The questions that are usually asked when malpractice is a question are whether or not the baby was in the birth canal for to long, whether or not the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck causing a lack of oxygen, not responding to changes in the babies heart rate, or the improper use of forceps.

Symptoms

The physical symptoms of Cerebral Palsy can be identified just by looking at a person. The first time that I saw my cousin I could tell that he was different because his hands and his legs would straighten all the way. His facial features are very different because his eyes and his mouth were kind of relaxed more that usual. Some symptoms may not be able to be identified until the child gets older and begins to grow some. The symptoms that I found through the research were from WebMD and it states that smaller muscles in affected arms or legs, abnormal sensations and perceptions, skin irritation, dental problems, and unusual postions may be some early symptoms of detection.

Smaller muscles in affected arms or legs affect the motor skills and this prevents the muscles to function properly. Abnormal sensations and perceptions includes feelings of pain when only lightly touched or not being able to identify objects by touching or tasting. Skin irritation is connected to drooling. Drooling is caused when the muscles in the mouth are not functioning and the