What is cerebral palsy?

Children's cerebral palsy is a rather serious disease, which practically does not respond to treatment. This term frightens many parents, but that's not everyone knows what CP is. This information will be useful to every person, regardless of whether he once faced such a violation.

What is cerebral palsy?

Children's cerebral palsy is a serious disease that is associated with lesions of the brain tissue. As a rule, in the first place damaged tissue of the cerebral cortex, subcortical areas and brainstem. This is what explains the speech impairment and motor disorders in the child, mental retardation , etc. But first of all it should be noted that cerebral palsy is not a hereditary disease. A number of factors lead to the development of the disease.

Causes of infantile cerebral palsy

Since we have already figured out what is CP, now it is necessary to understand the cause. Typically, the above brain damage appears during pregnancy, childbirth or in the first few days after birth.

To the pathologies of the brain tissue can lead to a serious illness, borne by a woman during pregnancy. The risk of the emergence of cerebral palsy is increased with Rh-conflict (which is why such women should be constantly under the supervision of a doctor and follow all his instructions). Rarely, the cause is severe late toxicosis.

The most common damage to the brain appears already during childbirth. The reason for this may be prolonged contractions, a narrow pelvis (if the birth is natural), too fast delivery. Sometimes cerebral palsy develops after using some medications during labor. Damage to the brain can and with improper use of vacuum equipment or obstetric forceps.

Lead to brain damage in the first days of life can be a serious illness, for example, the so-called "nuclear jaundice".

Forms of cerebral palsy

Children's cerebral palsy is a generalized name for diseases similar in their causes, symptoms and course. Doctors distinguish several basic forms of cerebral palsy.

• The most common form is spastic diplegia, or Little's disease. With this disease, both parts of the body are affected, and the child can not move the legs, but the hands are more mobile. Deformation of the joints and spine is observed.
• Dyskinetic form, as a rule, appears as a result of the transferred nuclear jaundice in the first days of a child's life. It appears paresis and paralysis, but in addition, damage to the eye and auditory nerves is possible. But the intellect is not affected at this - mentally and mentally the child develops normally. In most cases, these children easily adapt to new people, easily finish school.
• The ataxic form is characterized by the defeat of the cerebellum. Here there is a low muscle tone and strong tendon reflexes. Very often there are verbal disorders of a different nature. As for intellectual development, it comes with a moderate delay, although it is sometimes possible to develop oligophrenia.
• The hemiplegic form is accompanied by a one-sided lesion of the body, and the foot is affected less than the arm. For such children is characterized by a delay in speech and mental development. Sometimes there is a development of epilepsy.

Mixed forms of infantile cerebral palsy are much less common.

Treatment of infantile cerebral palsy

In modern medicine, there is no medicine that could cure a sick child. But children with such a diagnosis need constant care, which greatly facilitates their life. For example, regular sessions of massages and physiotherapy are recommended, which relieve contractures and spasms. For the child, a special set of therapeutic exercises is developed, with the help of which it is possible to relax the limited movement. From medicines use drugs that improve the nutrition of nerve tissues. If children are lagging behind in mental development, then they need to hold regular classes.

Now you know what CP is, how it occurs and how it manifests itself. But in any case, it is necessary to make the child feel free in the society.