2. What is Cerebral Palsy?
ο Definition
ο Cerebral Palsy is a general term that describes a group
of disorders that appear during the first few years of
life and affect a child's ability to coordinate body
movements.
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
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3. Some Possible Causes
ο Maternal infection during pregnancy, such as
rubella or other viral infections
ο Severe jaundice in newborns, which may be caused
by infection, severe bruising or problems with red
blood cells
ο Abnormal brain development before birth,
resulting from genetic causes or metabolic disorders
ο Disturbance to brain circulation before birth,
caused by an artery spasm or blood clot, similar to a
stroke in adults
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
4. Risk Factors of Cerebral Palsy
ο Babies that are premature or have a low birth weight
ο Complicated labor and delivery
ο Maternal infection during pregnancy
ο Health problems in the mother during pregnancy that
impair normal blood circulation to the uterus and
placenta
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
5. Signs of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy
Rare
ο β’ Poor balance
ο β’ Jerky speech patterns
ο β’ Shakiness
ο β’ Unsteady and wide- based walk
ο β’ abnormal eye movements
ο β’ Low muscle tone
ο May have βintention tremorsβ.
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
7. Signs of Spastic and Rigidity Cerebral Palsy
ο Most common, accounts for 8O%.
ο Occurs due to damage of motor cortex.
ο causes muscles to stiffen, which makes movement
difficult.
ο It can affect both legs (spastic diplegia),
ο In the most severe cases, all four limbs are affected
(spastic quadriplegia).
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
9. Signs of Athetoic Cerebral Palsy
β’ Accounts for 10%.
β’ Occurs due to damage of basal ganglia.
ο Athetoid movements can affect the muscles in the
face, causing drooling.
ο Speech Problems
ο Abnormal speech.
ο Involuntary movement of the face and mouth make it
difficult to form sounds, and drooling often occurs
with speech.
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
12. When to seek medical advice
ο If your baby seems to display weakness or paralysis in a
limb or isn't developing motor skills at the expected
times, talk to your family doctor or pediatrician. Every
baby develops at his or her own pace, so there's no
need to panic if your baby doesn't meet one of the
monthly milestones described in a parenting book.
But it's important to share any concerns about your
baby's development with your doctor.
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MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
13. Tests and Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy
ο Early signs of cerebral palsy may be present from birth,
but it's often difficult to make a definite diagnosis
during the first six months. Cerebral palsy is generally
diagnosed by age 1 or 2.
ο Computerized tomography (CT) scan.
ο Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
ο Other tests Some children may need genetic or
metabolic tests to help rule out other conditions.
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
20. Prevention
ο Make sure you're immunized. Immunization against
diseases such as rubella may prevent an infection that
could cause fetal brain damage.
ο Take care of yourself. The healthier you are heading into
a pregnancy, the less likely you'll be to develop an infection
that may result in cerebral palsy.
ο Seek early and continuous prenatal care. Regular visits
to your doctor during your pregnancy are a good way to
reduce health risks to you and your unborn baby. Seeing
your doctor regularly can help prevent premature birth, low
birth weight and infections.
JERIN.T.S, 3RD YEAR BSC NURSING, KRSMCON
MANGALORE. PH:+919496743672
Editor's Notes
Ataxic cerebral palsy. This is the least common of the major types of cerebral palsy. It affects balance and coordination. Teh symptoms are poor balance, jerky speech,shakiness, unsteady and wide based walk, and low muscle tone.