Kyshai Taylor

February 9,2014 Volume 1, Issue 1

WHAT IS CEREBRAL PALSY?

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a disorder that causes the muscles tone , movement , and motor skills (The ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way). CP is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a childs birth, during the first 3 to 5 years of a childs life. The brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing and speech problems and learning disabilities . There is no cure for CP , but treatment , therapy, special equipment , and in some cases , surgery can help a child who is living with the condition. Cerebral Palsy is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the united states have this condition. The three types of CP: Spastic Cerebral Palsy: Causes stiffness and movement difficulties Athetoid Cerebral Palsy: Leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements Ataxic Cerebral Palsy : Causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception Cerebral Paly affects muscle control and coordination , so even simple movementlike standing still are difficult. Other vital functions that also involve motor skills and musclessuch as breathing , bladder and bowel control , eating , and learningmay also be affected when a child has CP. Cerebral Palsy does not get worse over time .

CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS

Congenital cerebral palsy results from brain injury during a babys development in the womb. It is present at birth , although it may not be detected for months. It is responsible for about 70% of children who have cerebral pals. An additional 20% are diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy due to a brain injury during the birthing process. In most cases, the cause of congenital cerebral palsy is unknown. Some other causes are :

Infections during pregnancy that m ay dam age a fetu s developing ner vou s system . Theses include rubella (German Measles) , cytomegalovirus ( a herpes type virus) , and toxoplasmosis ( an infection cause by a parasite that can be carried in cat feces or inadequately cooked meat) . Other infections in pregnant women may go undetected are being recognized now as an important cause of developmental brain damage of the fetus.

8 Clinical Signs Of Cerebral Palsy Muscle Tone Movement coordination and control Reflexes

Severe Jaundice in the infant Jau ndice is caused by excessive billrubin in the blood . Normally, billrubin is filtered out by the liver. But often , newborns livers need a few days to start doing this effectively, so its not uncommon for infants to have jaundice for a few days after birth. In most cases , phototherapy (light therapy) clears up jaundice , and there are no lasting health effects. However , in rare cases , severe , untreated jaundice can damage brain cells.

Posture Balance

Fine Motor Function

Gross motor Function Oral Moor Function

TEACHING SRATEGIES
Be flexible You have to understand that they learn on a different path then the average child. Dont overwhelm them with too much. Teach them on their level , Have a teacher to help them one on one if needed Their will be good days and bad , just take it one day at a time

CURRENT MEDICAL
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the nations leading funder of basic, clinical, and translational research on brain and nervous system disorders. Another NIH agency, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), also conducts and supports research on cerebral palsy. Much of what we now know about CP came from research sponsored by the NINDS, including the identification of new causes and risk factors for cerebral palsy, the discovery of drugs to control stiff and spastic muscles and more precise methods to deliver them, refined surgical techniques to correct abnormalities in muscle and bone, and a greater understanding of how and why brain damage at critical stages of fetal development causes CP. Many scientists think that a significant number of children develop CP because of mishaps early in brain development. They are examining how neurons (nerve cells) in the brain specialize and form the right connections with other brain cells, and they are looking for ways to prevent the factors that disrupt the normal processes of brain development. Genetic defects are sometimes responsible for the brain malformations and abnormalities that cause cerebral palsy. Scientists are searching for the genes responsible for these abnormalities by collecting DNA samples from people with cerebral palsy and their families and using genetic screening techniques to discover linkages between individual genes and specific types of abnormality primarily those associated with the process in the developing brain in which neurons migrate from where they are born to where they settle into neural circuits (called neural migration). Scientists are scrutinizing events in newborn babies brains, such as bleeding, epileptic seizures, and breathing and circulation problems, which can cause the abnormal release of chemicals that triggers the kind of damage that causes cerebral palsy. For example, research has shown

Testing Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed based on observations of a baby or young child physical development delays or irregularities , medical history , a physical exam , screening tests , and other tests , such as MRI

United Cerebral Palsy 1660 L Street , NW Suite 700 Washington DC , 20036 Tel: 202-776-0406 March of Dimes 1275 Mamaroneck Ave White Plains , NY 10605 Tel: 914-997-4488

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REFERENCES
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/ cerebral_palsy/ detail_cerebral_palsy.htm#243743104 http://cerebralpalsyhelp.com/ causes_and_symptoms.html http://www.webmd.com/children/tc/ cerebral -palsy-exams -and-tests

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