Cerebral Palsy

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral palsy is a term used by the public to refer to a neurological condition that affects the human body and it involves a developmental disability and a damage that cause some dysfunctions which vary according to the place and the degree of the damage which occurs in the developing brain and this case affects the patient's muscle coordination as well as the patient's normal movement. This case usually affects the child during birth or after it with little time and then the child suffers slow motor development related to muscles' weakness which results into a difficulty in walking and having balance which affects the whole family psychologically besides the retard in the child's psychological state.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

 Most cases of cerebral palsy affect fetus before birth time due to a problem in the brain development which occurs in a specific part of the brain so development stops being normal. It could be caused by a shortage in oxygen supply during pregnancy or an infection. Yet sometimes no cause are specified for cerebral palsy but birth complications can lead children to have it, among such complications are during delivery asphyxia. Head trauma could also be one of the reasons for having cerebral palsy in children during delivery.  

TYPES OF CEREBRAL PALSY

Cerebral palsy is of three main types and there are conditions that mix between two types. The most common type is spastic cerebral palsy and it affects the body in one side or in both sides, the muscles become contracted bending the limb. Another type is athetoid which is also called dyskinetic cerebral palsy  which leads to slowing in muscles and the whole body is affected by it and it leads to writhing hands and arms movements that are lessened when the child sleeps and are high when the child is stressed. Speech could also be affected by it. The rarest type is ataxic cerebral palsy which affects coordination and balance as it causes problems in the child's motor skills.