Cerebral Palsy

What is Cerebral Palsy ❓

 A group of disorders that permanently affect movement, co-ordination and posture

 Muscle function limitations vary, but reduce activity capability from infancy 👶

 Causes: damage to the developing brain (e.g. due to infection, injury, defects)

 Risk factors: premature birth, a mother with an infection (e.g. chickenpox) or substance abuse 💉

What are the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy ❓

 Stiffness in muscles/joints 🦵

 Involuntary muscle movement/spasms

 Low muscle tone 💪

 Loss of balance

 Difficulty with fine hand movement (e.g. writing) ✍

How do you Diagnose Cerebral Palsy ❓

 Characteristic symptom assessment

 Patient & family history 📋

 Referral to specialists

How do you Treat Cerebral Palsy ❓

 Physiotherapy to reduce disability

 Occupational therapy 

 Speech & language therapy 🗣

 Muscle relaxing medication

 Possible surgery on affected limbs/joints 🏥

Why should I Worry about Cerebral Palsy ❓

 Reduced quality of life

 Patient requires lifelong support 👪

 The severity and how early the brain damage occurred can impact the severity of the disorder 🧠

 Associated problems are common, such as learning/speech/feeding difficulties, reflux, epilepsy