What Are the Symptoms of Spastic Cerebral Palsy? – South Florida Reporter

If your babys brain is damaged before birth, during delivery, or even within the first few years of their life, this can lead to the development of cerebral palsy (CP). One of the most common types of cerebral palsy is spastic CP.

When afflicted by CP, your child will be unable to develop normal motor functions. When it comes to spastic CP specifically, this is characterized by muscle tightness, joint stiffness, and jerky movements.

Its beneficial to know the symptoms of spastic CP so you can be aware of the challenges your child may be facing. These including the following:

Its not always possible to recognize the symptoms of spastic CP when your baby is still young. Typically, this is because the symptoms only start to present themselves when your child misses their developmental milestones.

Since it can take so long for the symptoms of spastic CP to appear, your child may be 5 years old before a diagnosis is reached.

During that time, you may have spent countless hours in doctors offices and speaking to specialists, and this will have an impact on your budget. A victim of cerebral palsy needs a dedicated physician but also a dedicated lawyer to ensure that you have the money you need to pay for medical treatments.

Once it has been determined that your child suffers from spastic CP, your doctor will develop a treatment plan. What your doctor decides will be based on how severe your childs symptoms are, where the movement issues are located, and if there are any secondary issues that might impact the treatment process. Some of the treatment options include the following:

One of the most common treatment options for children with spastic CP is physical therapy. This treatment focuses on improving your childs flexibility and stretching stiff muscles so that they can be as independent as possible.

Occupational therapy could be used in conjunction with physical therapy or as a treatment on its own. It focuses on helping your child to be able to perform daily tasks that theyll need to be successful at home, school, and potentially later on in work environments.

Your child may have difficulty with speech, language, and swallowing. Speech therapy may be used to help them communicate, chew, and eat with less difficulty. If your child has issues with drooling, speech therapy can also help correct or improve this.

If your child is suffering from joint dislocations, sensory impairment, or shortened muscles, then your doctor might recommend surgery to restore normal motor function and correct or improve the alignment and movement in your childs arms, wrists, legs, ankles, and feet.

One surgery that is commonly used to treat spastic CP is selective dorsal rhizotomy. This procedure involves severing the nerve fibers that extend from the spinal cord to the muscles.

Spastic CP is a diagnosis that will impact your child for the rest of their life. Depending on the severity of their condition, they may be able to live independently, or they may always have to be dependent on you. To ensure they live up to their potential, you need to make sure you work with the right doctors and get a lawyer to find out if you are entitled to any type of compensation.

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What Are the Symptoms of Spastic Cerebral Palsy? - South Florida Reporter