What is it?
The word cerebral means having to do with brain and palsy means weakness or problems with body movement. Thus cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders that affect muscle movement and coordination. In many cases, it may affect vision, hearing, and sensation. Abnormal brain development or injury to brain can cause cerebral palsy. It may occur before birth, during birth or shortly after birth.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms vary from person-to-person. Some people with may have difficulty walking and sitting. Other people can have trouble grasping objects. The symptoms can become more severe or less severe over time. People having cerebral palsy can have the following symptoms also:
- Seizures.
- Difficulty in communicating.
- Learning disabilities.
- Vision loss.
- Delays in reaching motor skill milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up alone, or crawling.
- Delayed speech development and difficulty speaking.
- Stiff muscles.
- Abnormal muscle tone and lack of muscle coordination.
- Tremors or involuntary movements.
- Excessive drooling and problems with swallowing.
- Difficulty walking.
- Using one side of the body, such as reaching with one hand.
What to expect?
If you are or your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, you can consider discussing the following subjects with your doctor:
- Are there necessary investigations for evaluation and management of the condition? If so, are there any preparations needed prior to these tests?
- Patients with cerebral palsy are cared by a team of medical professionals. Is this the case for you as well?
- What are your treatment options?
- A healthy diet and an active lifestyle can help improve overall health and well-being. Which changes can you make in your lifestyle?