About this topic
Cerebral palsy is also called CP. It is a health problem that affects body movement, balance, and posture. CP happens when the areas of the brain that control movement and posture do not develop or get damaged. Most often, this is a problem that happens before or during birth, but it can also happen later from an infection or a head injury. Babies with CP are mostly born with it. Sometimes, it takes up to 3 years to see the signs. ‚
There is no cure for CP and it will not go away. It most often does not worsen over time. CP can be mild just affecting one side of the body or it can be more severe affecting both sides of the body. Treatment is done to control the signs of CP and help your child deal with these signs as they grow. Drugs and physical therapy may be used to help. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Your doctor may give you braces, splints, a wheelchair, or a walker to help your child move around.
- Your doctor may give you aids, such as picture cards and computers that can act like a voice if your child has trouble talking.
- Your child may have problems doing simple movements like eating. Ask your doctor or therapist for special knives and forks that may help with eating.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your childs condition needs close monitoring. The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your child's progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your child's doctor will tell you if other tests are needed.
- Your child's doctor may send your child to other doctors.
- Your child may also need to see a physical therapist (PT). The PT will teach you exercises to help your child.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with muscle spasms
- Stop seizures
- Help with pain
Will physical activity be limited?
- Your child may have trouble moving. It may be hard for your child to walk, eat, get clothes on, or even sit. Sudden jerky movements may also happen. It is important for your child to learn how to get around and do everyday tasks safely.
What changes to diet are needed?
If your child has problems chewing or swallowing, do not feed your child foods that may cause choking like: ‚
- Uncut or large foods
- Raw veggies
- Raisins
- Cherries
- Gum
- Hard candy
- Hot dog slices
- Marshmallows
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Popcorn
- Whole beans
- Whole grapes
What problems could happen?
- Seizures
- Choking
- Infection
- Bleeding
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Make your home childproof to avoid accidents that may damage the brain.
- Get your childs vaccines at the right times.
- Always use a car seat and a seat belt.
- Never leave a child alone in water during bathing.
- When pregnant:
- Get prenatal care.
- Do not smoke; drink beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol); or do drugs.
- Never shake a baby. If you are worried about you or someone else hurting your baby, get help.
- If your baby is sick, go to the doctor right away
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, or pain with passing urine.
- Sudden breathing problems
- Trouble swallowing
- Coughing that does not stop
- Your child is not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or is feeling worse
Helpful tips
- Think about joining a support group. This may help you cope with your childs health problem.
- Keep your home free of clutter to lessen the chance of your child falling.
- Find a comfy chair that your child can sit in with good posture.
- If your child is too young to speak, encourage your child to talk with you by pointing on pictures or things that are common. Take note of these things and repeat using them. This may help your child learn how to communicate with other people.
- Show affection and use praise when your child tries to do something new or completes a task.
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you ways to help my child move about, talk, and eat.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has trouble breathing, coughing that does not stop, or trouble swallowing.
Where can I learn more?
March of Dimes ‚
http://www.marchofdimes.com/baby/birthdefects_cerebralpalsy.html ‚
My Child at Cerebral Palsy.org ‚
http://cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/what-is-cerebral-palsy/ ‚
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ‚
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm ‚
National Organization for Rare Diseases ‚
http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/63/viewAbstract ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚