Several diseases affect the neurogenic and motor functions of an individual. Out of these, cerebral palsy is considered the most dangerous and life-threatening one. It is a medical condition where the person loses complete control of motor activities due to neural damage in the cerebrum and cerebellum. It mainly happens in children when the impact is shown in developing brains. Out of every ten children, at least four tend to develop cerebral symptoms.
If cerebral palsy is not detected at the right time or prolonged, it can cause further damage to the developing brain and motor activities.
It is not just a particular disease. Instead, CP is said to be a group of diseases, with the symptoms varying from one person to the other. Therefore, every individual and doctor must test and then conclude the inference.
So, the first step is to know more about cerebral palsy types because the causes and symptoms will vary accordingly. CP is generally categorized as genetic cerebral palsy, congenital cerebral, and acquired cerebral palsy. In this following discussion, we will discuss these three types to make you more aware.
Genetic cerebral palsy
Often people are confused about whether cerebral palsy is genetics or hereditary. However, a genetic condition is defined as when the genes undergo changes or transformations and cause malfunctions in the concerned individual. When a medical condition is hereditary, the altered or mutated genes will be passed from parents to children. Therefore, they are at higher risk of suffering from the same medical condition.
Cerebral palsy is a genetic disease, but it won’t get passed from the parents to children. Genetic cerebral palsy usually occurs in children at an early age, when their DNAs are still in the forming stage. In several cases, it has been found that changes in DNA structures or nitrogenous base pairs can impact brain development and motor movements. Eventually, it leads to the formation of CP.
Congenital cerebral palsy
Unlike genetic cerebral palsy, congenital cerebral palsy usually occurs in the fetus during the gestation period or at the time of childbirth. As the disease happens during childbirth or far, you can easily detect the symptoms in babies. With early detection, doctors can easily start the treatment once they become of the right age.
Acquired cerebral palsy
Another cerebral palsy you can see in children is the acquired CP. It usually happens in babies of age one month or more. Here, the main cause of the disease is improper brain development, uncontrolled motor operations, and damage to the developing brain. If a child suffers from massive head injury or trauma, are likely to suffer from acquired cerebral palsy.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy
There are many different symptoms based on which you can decide when a child has cerebral palsy or not. In this below section, we have discussed the major signs you must look for.
- Difficulty in moving hands and arms is one of the main symptoms you will be looking out for in your kid.
- Muscles become stiff and rougher, thereby preventing repeated contractions and expansions.
- Loss of balance in the stance is a common symptom in patients with cerebral palsy.
- Impairment of all motor skills, like walking, lifting arms, sitting straight, and so on. The disease can make a child cripple.
- With neural problems and improper coordination, one can find it difficult to speak and speak words fluently.
- Swallowing becomes extremely difficult due to improper contraction and relaxation of the esophageal muscles.
How is cerebral palsy prevented?
Cerebral palsy can be prevented, provided you follow all the instructions properly. Failure to do so can lead the condition to severe results. In the following section, we will discuss how you can prevent cerebral palsy.
- While pregnant, you need to get all the vaccinations to ensure you don’t suffer from cerebral palsy and your baby remains safe.
- As congenital cerebral palsy can occur before birth, you should maintain a strict lifestyle during pregnancy. This will reduce the chances of infections and damage to the developing brain.
- Do not take alcohol and nicotine-based products as their chemical compositions are quite varied. So, keep all these habits at bay and focus more on a peaceful lifestyle.
- Prenatal care is crucial when you want to reduce the chances of suffering from cerebral palsy.
Conclusion
As cerebral palsy is a common disease amongst children, you must maintain a healthy life during pregnancy. The condition is also irreversible, which is why it needs to be detected as early as possible.