Children's cerebral palsy is called a group of diseases characterized by central nervous system damage, impaired coordination of movement, dysfunction of the muscular system, delayed mental development.
Causes of cerebral palsy in children
Such disorders in children do not have a progressive nature, which means that brain damage occurs from the time of birth. But then the question is why the children are born with cerebral palsy. The main cause of the disease is hypoxia, that is, a lack of oxygen to brain cells. As a result, in the brain there is underdevelopment of those sites and structures responsible for maintaining the balance of the body and the reflex mechanisms. This in turn leads to asymmetric development of muscle tone and the appearance of atypical motor reactions.
Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal processes during pregnancy:
- severe forms of toxicosis;
- intrauterine infection;
- violation of the placental circulation;
- somatic diseases of the mother (heart diseases, diabetes, etc.);
- incompatibility of Rh factor or blood groups in the mother and fetus;
- hypovitaminosis;
- threat of abortion , umbilical cord entanglement.
Strengthen the damage to the baby's brain can be difficult births, provoked by obstetric pathologies:
- a narrow pelvis;
- weak labor activity;
- prolonged anhydrous period;
- protracted labor;
- wrong fetal presentation.
After delivery, the disease can occur as a result of injuries and diseases (meningitis, hemolytic disease of the newborn ).
Cerebral palsy in children: symptoms
Symptoms of the disease can be detected immediately after birth or will manifest gradually in the first year of life. In the first place, cerebral palsy is recognized by the absence or weakness of congenital reflexes. For example, with a support reflex in an upright position, the sick child flexes the legs or simply restores only with the fingers. The lack of a crawling reflex refers to the signs of infantile cerebral paralysis in the infant: the baby does not straighten the limbs and does not creep forward when placed on the abdomen and press the palm to the feet.
The development of children with cerebral palsy is further inhibited: in the future such patients do not restrain their head, do not turn over, sit or stand up. They freeze in some position, nod their head, their limbs can make involuntary movements. There is a delay in mental development - there is no contact with the mother, there is no interest in toys, speech development is disrupted.
Cases of cerebral palsy in children also depend on the degree of brain damage. Movement disorders are divided into:
- athetosis - constant and involuntary movements;
- spasticity - strengthening of muscle tone;
- stiffness - strained muscles that resist passive movements;
- tremor - trembling of limbs;
- ataxia - imbalance.
The most common are athetoid and spastic type of disorders. In addition, the following forms of infantile cerebral palsy are identified by localization:
- Monoplegic with defeat of one limb;
- hemiplegic with the defeat of the arm and leg on one side of the trunk;
- Diplegic with defeat of both upper or lower extremities;
- quadriplegic with defeat of all limbs.
Treatment of cerebral palsy in children
Basically, in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy, massage, exercise therapy, some physiotherapeutic and orthopedic techniques (Wojta method, prosthetics, plastering, mud therapy), surgical intervention, speech therapy are used. Medical therapy is mandatory, which includes drugs that reduce muscle tone.
All these techniques allow you to maximize the physical and mental capabilities of the child. The earlier the treatment is started, the greater the chances for social adaptation among peers, which will allow a child to avoid being alone - one of the acute problems of children with cerebral palsy.