Cerebral Palsy

Jalyn Van Dyke

October 28, 2019
 Cerebral Palsy is a condition that is hard to describe because there are so many different
forms of it. It is a disability that affects the person their whole life. The defect starts with the
brain not being fully developed or functional. Many things can cause CP, such as a sickness from
the mother, a virus, or being underdeveloped at birth. There are many different types of CP, so a
solid definition that fits every case and scenario is hard to come by. However, the majority of CP
cases are when someone cannot move well and has bad posture because of a defect in their brain.
CP develops in early stages, between fetal years and 3 years old, and affects them the rest of their
life.
Cerebral Palsy has many symptoms and it is different for each individual. Along with a
struggle in movement and posture, CP brings epilepsy, muscle problems, and skeletal problems.
An infant may take longer to do simple things like walk, smile, roll over or sit up, if they even
are able to do so. They have issues with fine motor skills such as, hitting buttons or writing. Most
have trouble walking or standing, and some can do neither. They have muscles that are tight and
spastic and require a lot of treatment. Some have weak muscles and bad balance. Others, if they
can speak, have speech problems. They also can have difficulty swallowing which can result in
them having to get a gastronomy tube, or G-tube, in order to get fed. Those with CP also struggle
with drooling.
Normally, as a child with Cerebral Palsy gets older, their motor skills improve rather
than deteriorate. Some children develop so much that they can move normally, or close to
normal. Most live to be adults, however of those that cannot walk, they tend to die earlier.
Because CP develops at a young age, it is sometimes hard to tell how the child will be affected
by it in the long term. Most CP infants seem normal when they are born, but they grow and do
not develop like other babies do. For example, a child is born with CP, the parents do not know if
they will be able to walk or talk normally. When they infant gets a little older, the age where
other babies are walking and they cannot, only then will the parents know that their child will not
be able to use their legs properly. The same thing applies to speech, physical appearance, and
muscle tension.
Cerebral Palsy is not caused by one specific thing. There are a lot of factors that affect the
fetus in the womb or a child in its first year or two. One third of children with CP are born
prematurely. Of those that develop CP, 78% of them are healthy at birth and do not develop later.
Other factors that can cause CP include a stroke after birth or during development. In the womb
or at birth, they can also be exposed to the lack of oxygen, and that causes CP as well. Other
causes for the infant include: infant’s brain bleeds, head injury, infection of the brain, problems
with the umbilical cord or placenta, meningitis, encephalitis, seizures, genetic or metabolic
issues, and underdeveloped brain tissue. It is also possible for the mother to have issues and that
can cause the baby to get CP, these include: rubella, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, or if her
and the child’s blood type to not work well together.
There are two main forms of Cerebral Palsy, spastic and dyskinetic. Spastic cerebral
palsy is the most common type of CP. Spastic CP is when the muscles of the person are tight,
they are not very smooth in their movement. This causes all movement to be difficult, such as
walking or even standing. Spastic CP is divided into three different categories. First, diplegic, a
person who is diplegic can either use their arms or legs. Second, is hemiplegic, which is when
they can use only half of their body. Third, quadripilegic, the person cannot use any of their
limbs. The other type of CP is called dyskinetic CP. Dyskinetic CP is not as common and is
present when the basal ganglia part of the brain is damaged. It can include tight muscles and
damaged nerves, but mainly includes the person moving uncontrollably.
A lot of research has been done and is being done on Cerebral Palsy. Researchers have
found that there is no cure to CP because the brain damage cannot be reversed. However, a lot of
research has been put into ways to help those with CP and improve their skills and lives.
Examples include: therapy, surgery, braces, and medication.
Therapy has a lot of positive outcomes. Therapy helps with the person's mobility, motor
skills, speech. One form of therapy is light therapy. There are also walkers that can be positioned
over a treadmill with the person with CP hanging over it. This supports the patient while they
walk on the treadmill to boost their muscles and bones towards walking without aid. Other types
of therapy include physical therapy stretching the patient daily, sometimes multiple times. This
helps to loosen the muscles and relieve the patient of tension. There is also occupational therapy,
which can help the child prepare for the adult world by teaching them daily activities such as
getting dressed as well as teaching them to read and write.
Surgery can help the person with many things, including being able to sit, walk, and
stand. Helping with nerves, bones, or muscle issues. Sometimes, CP causes difficulty swallowing
and control of that muscle. This can result in aspiration, when they cannot swallow to their
stomach but it instead goes to their lungs. If the person cannot learn how to eat properly, a doctor
can give the patient a gastronomy tube, or a G-tube so that they can receive the nutrients they
need to live. A G-tube is a tube that is connected directly to the stomach, when they need to be
fed another tube is then connected to it and the fluid, usually of high nutritional value, is put into
the stomach. Another common issue with CP is scoliosis, surgery can be done to help prevent
this. The surgery is very technical, because the doctor puts a rod in their back to help keep them
straight. However, the doctor must pay attention to how the child will be affected if they grow or
change weight. A surgery that goes along with medicine is a baclofen pump. This can help with
the patient’s muscle tightness. Rather than taking baclofen orally, doctor’s put a pump into their
stomach area that is connected to their spine and pumps the medicine at a higher rate, more
frequently and with better results.
Braces are a physical aid that can help the person with muscle contraction, alignment,
posture, and prevent deformities. There are braces for about every part of their body. They are
similar to a cast for a broken bone, but are plastic and have a cushion on the inside. These braces
keep their bones and muscles in the correct position to help maintain good body alignment. Other
physical aids include: wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches. They all aid to help the person move
around. Because people with CP are sometimes shaped a little differently, these can be
customized to their specific body shape for comfort.
Medication for those with CP can help them with their muscle spasms, seizures, muscle
tensions, help with the pain, drooling, osteoporosis, and even prevent bone loss. Medications that
help with muscle tension include, baclofen, diazepam, and dantrolene. To help with the drooling
problem, doctors can give patients glycopyrrolate. Pamidronate can help with osteoporosis.
Diastat and trileptal can be prescribed to help seizures. Clonazepam is another medicine to help
these patients sleep as well as prevent seizures.
Although there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, and there may never be, researchers and
doctors are always finding ways to improve the lives of those affected by it. There are many
different causes of CP, there are many symptoms, and each case of CP differs from the rest.
Brain damage has yet to find a cure to be reversed.
 Literature Cited

Baumann, Robert J., M.D. “Cerebral Palsy.” ​Magill’s Medical Guide (Online Edition)​, 2019.

Rosenbaum, Peter, and Lewis Rosenbloom. ​Cerebral Palsy : From Diagnosis to Adult Life.​ Mac
Keith Press, 2012.

Uribe, LM, PharmD, MLIS, and P, PsyD March. “Cerebral Palsy.” Edited by RN, PhD, FAAN
Pravikoff D. ​CINAHL Nursing Guide​, October 19, 2018.

Wood, D. “Cerebral Palsy.” ​Health Library: Evidence-Based Information​, September 2018.