According to a survey of the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 15-20% of the total physically handicapped children globally suffer from cerebral palsy. For India, being a developing country the estimated incidence is around 3/1000 live births and may be much higher than this. Cerebral palsy (CP) is not a single disease. Its a group of disorders that affect the person’s ability to move, and maintain balance and posture. It’s the most common motor disability in childhood. You can find the best Cerebral Palsy treatment in Gurgaon at Child neurology centre.

Symptoms and types of Cerebral palsy

Though the symptoms vary from person to person, the common symptoms may appear in babies are:

• Muscle spasm and stiffness

• Low muscle tone

• Unable to hold up his/her head in sitting position.

• Lack of muscle coordination

• Involuntary movements

• Developmental delays: Can’t sit up and roll over independently by 6 months.

• Delay in physical development: Children unable to walk independently by 12-18 months.

It is categorized on the basis of movement alteration which depends on the area of the brain affected.

Spastic cerebral palsy: It affects about 80% of peoples with CP. It involves an awkward moment because of muscle stiffness.

Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: It involves a problem in controlling movements of hands, legs, arms and feets making it difficult to sit and walk.

Ataxic cerebral palsy: People with ataxic CP might have a hard time with quick movements or the movements which need a lot of concentration such as writing. It involves balance and coordination problem.

Mixed Cerebral Palsy: It involves mixed symptoms such as muscle stiffness, a problem with balance & coordination, problem while controlling movements etc.

Risk factors & Causes

Presence of the following risk factors may lead to increase chances of a child being born with cerebral palsy:

• Premature birth

• A problem in clotting factors

• Low birth weight

• The inability of the placenta to provide nutrients & oxygen to the developing fetus.

• Infection of a mother with viral diseases in early pregnancy.

• Severe jaundice to the baby shortly after birth.

Males, premature babies, twins, triplets and higher multiple births are at great risk of Cerebral palsy.

Brain injury is the primary and most common cause of cerebral palsy. Approximately 70% of cases caused by prenatal brain injuries, 20% caused by injuries during birth and approx 10% CP caused by injuries after birth.

Causes of brain injury/damage:

A developing brain can be damaged by several incidents such as an infection which may inhibit the neurological development of neurons, as a result, a brain trauma.

Factors that may contribute to a disruption of the healthy development of a child’s brain are:

• Infections during pregnancy

• Untreated severe jaundice

• Lack of oxygen supply into the brain

• Brain haemorrhage during birth and shortly after birth

• Genetic causes

Treatment

Although cerebral palsy is not completely curable, there are many interventions that can help to reduce its impact on the body. Several treatment methods can improve someone’s quality of life.

Medications: Your neurologist will provide some oral medications (diazepam), injections (Baclofen) that may help with the movements. Botulinum toxin type A injection is also given by doctors to reduce muscle spasm.

Surgery: Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) is the surgical procedure performed by surgeons to reduce spasticity in the legs of children with cerebral palsy.

At child Neurology centre, you can find the best child neurologist in Delhi NCR in the name of Dr. R K Jain.