Cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy) is a group of diseases characterized by damage to the central nervous system. The main cause of the disease is damage to the brain cells, which was caused by oxygen starvation or trauma in the prenatal or postpartum period. In this case, dysfunction of the muscular and motor systems and impaired coordination of movement and speech are observed.
We will talk about how to determine cerebral palsy in newborns in this article.
Factors that have a destructive effect on the brain
As a rule, the cause of this disease is the pathological processes that occur in the mother's body during pregnancy, and it is worth talking about several problems that arose simultaneously. The most significant causes for the appearance of cerebral palsy in newborns :
- forced oxygen starvation of the fetus in the womb, caused by a violation of the blood circulation of the brain;
- acute lack of oxygen during childbirth or immediately after birth (by the way, a special place here is occupied by premature birth with the help of cesarean section);
- infectious diseases of the mother;
- birth injuries.
Cerebral palsy in newborns: symptoms to diagnose
To cope with this serious problem, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible (75% of cases of cerebral palsy are reversible provided that treatment started up to 3 years). That is, attentive parents can notice in time certain deviations in the behavior of the child and draw the attention of the local pediatrician to them. And for this, they need to remember the symptoms characteristic of the diagnosis of cerebral palsy:
- the child, by one and a half months, lying on his tummy, does not keep his head raised;
- he retains absolute reflexes longer than usual: palmar-oral (if you press the baby on the palms of his hands, he will certainly open his mouth) and automatic walking (if you lean the baby on its legs and tilt it slightly forward, it starts to touch them, as if it is walking); these reflexes should disappear by 2 months;
- after 4 months, the child has no interest in toys;
- the baby makes involuntary movements, shudders or freezes in any position;
- often chokes and badly sucks.
Cerebral palsy in newborns: symptoms confirming the diagnosis
A particularly illustrative example for the detection of cerebral palsy is the constant manipulation of only one handle, while the other is pressed against the body and is strongly compressed. It is often difficult for a mother to raise the legs of a baby or turn its head.
Another feature is no less characteristic: the baby, in order to get into the mouth with a pen, turns away from it. The impossibility of sitting independently by six months of age is also evident (as a rule, with cerebral palsy, this happens only at 3 years old), and such a child begins to walk only at 4 years old.
Cerebral palsy in newborns: symptoms as a criterion for prognosis
Parents need to remember that cerebral palsy is a disease that is not prone to progression. In addition, despite the strong lag in the development of motor functions, the psyche of such children does not always suffer. Therefore, the prognosis and effectiveness of treatment depends entirely on the severity of the disease.
Due to the high compensatory abilities of the children's brain, many consequences of injuries can be reversed and, accordingly, the prognosis of the treatment of cerebral palsy in newborns, whose symptoms are confirmed, can be favorable. The main thing in this case is not to get lost, start treatment on time and be persistent in your desire to see the child healthy. Good luck to you!