Effects of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is characterized by the inability to fully control the motor area of our brain, particularly muscle control and co-ordination of movements. It is a general term for a group of permanent brain injuries that affects an infant in the womb, during the birth or in months following the birth. It is a result of episode that causes lack of oxygen to the brain. Characterized by the disruption of motor skills, cerebral palsy is also a form of static encephalopathy. It is an umbrella term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time.

Effects of Cerebral Palsy: -

Side effects of cerebral palsy include seizures, spasms, visual problems, hearing problems, hyperactivity disorder, speech problems, and learning problems. Approximately half of all people with cerebral palsy suffer from seizures. Seizures occur when there is abnormal brain activity (the brain attempts to send abnormal messages very close together). Seizures affect people in different ways – some people may stop moving and stare, others may fall down. Some can cause a person to fall and shake violently. They are generally not dangerous and will only last a few minutes. Normally people do not tend to grow by their brain as compared to their age.

The movement of the limbs is affected in cerebral palsy. It is because, the signals transmitted by the brains do not reach the muscles correctly or sometimes they just do not reach. Even the speech of the person is affected in cerebral palsy. Lack of communication is also observed in this disorder. Perception and behavior of a cerebral palsy affected person is not normal. Since the limbs and muscles are affected, the posture of the person does not appear to be normal. Also the speech of the person is affected. Since it is caused due to the lack of oxygen to the brain, the thinking capacity of the brain is also affected.

Cerebral palsy is incurable. However, many therapies can be use to help ease its symptoms. Guidance from the therapists such as physician, orthopedist, psychologist, occupational therapist and speech-language therapist along with a social worker could help ease out the problems of cerebral palsy affected persons.

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