Cerebral Palsy: Causes, Treatment and Prevention

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of conditions that affect control of movement and posture. Because of damage to areas of the brain that control movement, an affected child cannot move his or her muscles normally. While symptoms range from mild to severe, the condition does not get worse as the child gets older. With treatment, most children can significantly improve their abilities.

Many children with cerebral palsy have other problems that require treatment. These include mental retardation, learning disabilities, seizures, vision, hearing and speech problems.

Cerebral palsy usually is not diagnosed until a child is about 2 to 3 years of age. Approximately 2 to 3 children in 1,000 over the age of three have cerebral palsy. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in this country have cerebral palsy.

There are three major types of cerebral palsy, and some individuals may have symptoms of more than one type.

About 70 to 80 percent of affected individuals have spastic cerebral palsy, in which muscles are stiff, makingmovement difficult. When both legs are affected (spastic diplegia), a child may have difficulty walking because tight muscles in thehips and legs cause legs to turn inward and cross at the knees (called scissoring).

In other cases, only one side of the body is affected (spastic hemiplegia), often with the arm more severely affected than the leg.

Most severe is spastic quadriplegia, in which all four limbs and the trunk are affected, often along with the muscles controlling the mouth and tongue. Children with spastic quadriplegia often have mental retardation and other problems.

About 10 to 20 percent of affected individuals have the athetoid form of cerebral palsy, which affects theentire body. It is characterized by fluctuations in muscle tone (varying from too tight to too loose) and sometimes is associated with uncontrolled movements (which can be slow and writhing or rapid and jerky).

Children often have trouble learning to control their bodies well enough to sit and walk. Because muscles of the faceand tongue can be affected, there can also be difficulties with sucking, swallowing and speech.

About 5 to 10 percent of affected individuals have the ataxic form, which affects balance and coordination. Theymay walk with an unsteady gait with feet far apart, and have difficulty with motions that require precise coordination, such as writing.

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Cerebral Palsy: Causes, Treatment and Prevention