Cerebral Palsy is the choice of research I chose.
It is a disorder of the nervous system that targets the muscle tone, movement, and other motor skills. I chose to do my research on this particular subject to familiarize myself of some of the symptoms and causes, but mostly because my great niece was diagnosed with the disorder about 3 years ago. Throughout this research paper you will notice the causes, diagnoses, the different types of cerebral palsy, how to evaluate, the symptoms, and treatments of the disorder.There are several possible causes in determining whether or not a person has cerebral palsy. In most cases of cerebral palsy, the causes are unknown, but in some, it develops during pregnancy in which the brain isn’t fully developed or there is a significant decrease in the amount of blood flow to the brain.
Complications during labor and delivery can cause CP in some cases. Premature babies are at greater risk of having CP than babies that are full-term. According to experts for everyday emergencies at http://emedicinehealth.com/cerebral_palsy, “10% of cases of cerebral palsy begin perinatal, and at least 70-80% of cases begin prenatal.”Diagnoses of CP may be done at an early stage in a child’s life. It’s best to do this if you suspect a child is at a higher risk of having the disorder.
It is usually done approximately at the age of 4-7 months. There is no way to prevent CP from happening. Specialists in Neurology should asses and examine an impaired child who poses a threat of having cerebral palsy. There isn’t just one test to diagnose cerebral palsy.
MRI’s are usually done to get visual images to detect changes in the brain.There are 3 types of Cerebral Palsy: Spastic, Choreoathetoid, and Hypotonic cerebral palsy. In Spastic cerebral palsy, the muscle tone is increased. During this type of cerebral palsy, your movement is limited; often occurring on one side of the body (hemiparesis), but it can affect all four limbs (quadriparesis). This often results from damage to white or gray matter of the brain. Uncontrollable movement of the legs and/or arms is involved during Choreoathetoid cerebral palsy.
With this type of cerebral palsy, the muscle tone is decreased (hypotonia). Choreathetoid cerebral palsy results from damage to specialized brain structures that involve the basal ganglia, which deals with how you control your movement. In Hypotonic cerebral palsy, the muscle tone is diminished completely. The child will appear floppy. This type of cerebral palsy affects the motor skills, and cognitive development in the child.
Treatment will require specific therapies to help a child with cerebral palsy reach his/her potential physically, mentally, and socially. Rehabilitation, Occupational, and Speech therapy is needed. Rehabilitation therapy includes physical therapy to help with the muscle tone, strength, and gait. Occupational therapy involves helping the patient learn the physical skills he/she needs to be independent.
Things like feeding and dressing themselves. Speech therapy helps the patient overcome communication problems. Some children with neurological problems have a high emotional distress and may require help from a mental health facility. Medication, surgery, or braces can also help improve muscle function.Once the child is born, you can reduce the risk of brain damage, which could lead to CP.
Don’t ever shake the child, this could lead to major brain damage; the brain is bounced around from back to front. If you have a child riding in the car with you, properly strap the child down in a car seat, away from airbags. Be aware of lead in your house, it can also lead to brain damage. Having the child up-to-date on immunizations is important, this can protect against infections.Medical care is a big hassle for parents with children who have cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy often contract infections such as; ear infections, urinary tract infections, and appendicitis, which are easily treated.
Taking care of a child with cerebral palsy could have an emotional and financial burden on the family. The caregiver must be able to recognize the child’s needs and provide the proper care and give him/her the love. Most children with cerebral palsy can lead full, meaningful lives. Some doctors have tried hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat children with cerebral palsy, but this method has not been scientifically proven to work effectively.The parent of a child with cerebral palsy should be able to address issues or concerns about this matter with the physician.
The doctor will sit down with the parent to figure out the right treatment and therapy for the child, depending on the severity of the case. The parent should not worry about the finances; there are many resources available to help and support you in caring for your child.There are educational services that you can put your child in to help them with their learning abilities. Your public school system is developed with programs to help children of this matter feel normal. You should seek medical help immediately if your child start to have seizures or anything that you feel that the child should be doing, but isn’t.
Things such as; blinking in response to a loud noise, reaching out for toys or unable to walk or pull themselves up on their own. The signs are very obvious and you should know if something is wrong with the child or not.Take precaution during pregnancy to prevent anything that will cause you to have difficulties during birth. Stay on a healthy diet. Go to the doctor as advised to get checked regularly to ensure a healthy birth.
