Assisting Our Children With Cerebral Palsy

What is cerebral palsy? By the time a child turns three years old, he or she will most likely be able to coordinate motor movements such as walking, sitting, talking, clapping and smiling. But, if a child at this age is still unable to do perform basic movements, then he or she has a higher than normal chance of having cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy have problems that affect motor movements and muscle coordination.

Defining the disorder called cerebral palsy isn't as simple as just calling it a disorder of movement. There are actually three different types of cerebral palsy; athetoid, spastic and ataxic. Athetoid cerebral palsy causes slow and sluggish involuntary movements or movements that cannot be controlled. Spastic cerebral palsy, on the other hand, is what triggers movement and stiffness problems. Ataxic cerebral palsy causes problems with depth perception and balance. Children with cerebral palsy will show signs of the condition before the age of five.

As of this writing, no one really knows what if the exact cause of cerebral palsy. What researchers do know is that there are several factors found that contribute to the condition. Damage to the brain during developmental stages in utero is said to be a trigger of cerebral palsy. The areas of the brain that are affected are the ones that control motor movements. The biggest unanswered question is why the damage occurs in the first place?

The signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy are a large part of what defines the condition. Early symptoms that occur before a child turns three years old may indicate that the child hasn't developed proper motor skill functioning. That is because cerebral palsy in infants often times will trigger a developmental delay. Parents may notice that their child is not reaching developmental milestone such as rolling over, smiling, crawling, walking or sitting like other children. Other signs include unusual posture, abnormal muscle tone and a difficult pregnancy that involves fevers, bleeding and infection.

Now that you know what cerebral palsy is, you can more fully understand how difficult it is for children with cerebral palsy to live with it. There is still no definitive cure for this condition, yet scientists and researchers have found many possible ways to prevent cerebral palsy from happening in the first place. Giving immunizations and making sure a pregnant woman receives enough folate are just a couple of ways that have been found to possibly prevent cerebral palsy in children.

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