Cerebral Palsy Essay

Cerebral Palsy is a motor condition that occurs in roughly two out of every one thousand births. It is non-progressive as well as non-contagious and as most people do not know, is not considered a disease or a disorder that is genetically passed on. It is thought to be congenital in almost all of the cases, meaning that it’s onset was at birth and/or diagnosed at a very young age. The disorder gets it name because the cerebrum is the part of the brain that controls movement and the ability to stand and walk. There is thought to be a malfunction in the connection between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum. The second part of the name, palsy, literally means paralysis although it is not used in today’s language quite as often. Today it is referred to as a disorder of movement. Cerebral palsy is caused in-utero, or during pregnancy when the motor control centers are damaged in the fetus’ developing brain. It is less common, but this disorder can go undiagnosed until the age of three. Cerebral palsy limits movement, posture, and coordination and are often accompanied by problems with sensation, depth perception, and other sight-based perceptual problems. Cognition and epilepsy are also found to be a factor in about one third of all cases. When dealing with Cerebral palsy, no matter what type, there is always a secondary musculoskeletal condition that goes along with it. There are many types and subtypes of Cerebral palsy but none of them have a known cure as of today. No matter the type of Cerebral palsy it is characterized by abnormal muscle tone, reflexes, or motor development and coordination. It is possible to have joint and bone deformities and contractures as well. The classic symptoms are spasticity, spasms, other involuntary movements (facial gestures), unsteady gait, problems with balance, and/or soft tissue findings consisting largely of decreased muscle mass. Infants that are born with Cerebral palsy often have irregular posture, meaning that they are unusually floppy or their entire bodies are stiff. Curved spines, small jaw bones, or a small head can also be present in patients with Cerebral palsy. Secondary conditions can include seizures, epilepsy, apraxia, dysarthria or other communication disorders, eating problems, sensory impairments, mental retardation, learning disabilities, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence or behavioral disorders. Speech and language disorders are very common with this disorder with the incidence rate being between thirty-one and eighty-eight percent. While in a lot of cases, Cerebral palsy has no known cause, in fifty percent of cases the disease is

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