Brainpalsy.com - Helping Parents Combat Cerebral Palsy

Although the incidence of ataxic cerebral palsy is quite rare (eg type is represented only about 5 to 10 percent of all cases of cerebral palsy), note that it is still cerebral palsy, and can cause problems bothering not only in their affected child, but also to you, too.

The following are some facts about ataxic cerebral palsy that has to be aware of:

* The cerebellum is the part of the human brain that is damaged, causing the kind of ataxic cerebral palsy. It is responsible for coordination and balance of body movements.

* Once damaged, which could result in the following:

Hypotonia or disorder or poor muscle tone, or Having difficult time maintaining balance, or disorders of the perception of depth or more tremors, and disability or in the control of the motion and variety of voluntary movements.

* Children affected with ataxic cerebral palsy may show the following signs:

Demonstration or unsteady gait, tremors or intention to try to make any voluntary movement, or clumsiness and difficulty in carrying out such voluntary movements, or writing assignment is seriously affected; perception of depth or disorder results to the movements as coarser to reach any object or Involuntary and rapid movements of the eyeball, I other related conditions such as visual and hearing disabilities, convulsions, and possibly mental retardation.

In most cases, a doctor diagnosed a child for any possible presence of ataxic cerebral palsy through a combination of meticulous physical examination and the results of medical images, methods such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. These findings, together with the results of the physical examination are used to evaluate and determine whether the brain is developing normally or not. On the other hand, if not diagnosed at an early age, it is possible that the worst affected as a child ages.

Sad to say, the cure for ataxic cerebral palsy has to be made. However, it can be treated by the help of therapy and medication. One of the popular treatment used to combat ataxic cerebral palsy is a process called chronic cerebella. It begins by placing the stimulation of any means, as the electrode on the surface of the cerebellum damaged. It is believed that restore muscle tone and balance.

It is important to be aware of the signs of ataxic cerebral palsy who will be their search if your child is suffering from it, therefore, can he / she ask your doctor for further evaluation. Your child’s life, as well as its future is at stake here, so it is imperative that you are not negligent. Be alert and aware of ataxic cerebral palsy.

The most simple answer as to why a child is suffering from cerebral palsy is because they have suffered some form of damage to their brain. Normally such damage will have occurred before, during or after the child has been born. But in order to find out which kind of injury to the brain and the causes of cerebral palsy a doctor will need to carry out various medical and neurological tests on the child.

Unfortunately when medical professionals are investigating why the child has suffered a brain injury find it difficult to know what for sure had caused it. Because they are unable to discover what has caused the initial injury to the childs brain they also find it difficult to have ways of preventing it in the first place. But in many cases where a child is suffering from cerebral palsy there are two injuries to their brain which can be the cause of them suffering from this particular condition.

The first is because the childs brain has been unable to develop properly and is commonly referred to as developmental brain malformation. Unfortunately with this kind of injury to the brain there is very little chance available medically to help prevent such an injury occurring.

The other cause for a child to suffer brain damage whilst still in their mothers womb or as they are being born or after they have been born is through a recognized injury. The kinds of injuries that fall in to this category are infections (such as meningitis), blood has been allowed to bleed into the brain or the child has not been provided with sufficient amounts of oxygen to their brain. Around 10 to 15% of all children who suffer from cerebral palsy will have been caused by such injuries.

Also a large proportion of the cases of cerebral palsy to be found in young children today have been caused through medical mistakes and could therefore have been easily prevented. Often a large number of children who have cerebral palsy will have suffered from some kind of brain damage when they were being delivered and therefore could easily have been prevented.

But just how bad a childs cerebral palsy is will depend on how severe the damage to their brain was. For a baby who is born prematurely and suffers from an intraventricular haemorrhage (bleeding into the brain) will suffer from very extensive brain damage.

Above we have explained some of the causes of cerebral palsy in children today and on average around 6,000 new cases are presenting themselves in the USA each year. Currently the medical bill to cover the costs of caring for such children in the USA alone is running at around $20 billion a year. But the biggest question being asked by many parents today whose child suffers from cerebral palsy was if it could have been prevented or not?

Cerebral Palsy is the name given to a group of disorders that result in physical disability. It is a “non-progressive” disorder, which means that a person who has cerebral palsy (or CP) will not continue to get worse throughout their lifetime. However, there is no cure for the initial damage CP has on the individual.

Cerebral Palsy is a condition affecting the brain, specifically, the cerebrum, and affects the movement of the affected individual by damaging the “motor control centers” of the brain. Typically, this damage occurs during pregnancy, childbirth, or in the first few years following childbirth (until around age three).

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Although extensive research has been done over the years, the cause of many cerebral palsy cases is unknown. However, doctors and researchers have been able to identify several contributing factors.

Some factors that contribute to CP in infants and children include

· Asphyxia

· Hypoxia of the brain

· Premature birth

· Central nervous infections

· Infection in the mother before and during the birthing process

· Multiple births

In many instances, these conditions manifest together, as one of these situations can increase the likelihood of another. For example, studies estimate that between 40% and 50% of children who develop cerebral palsy were born prematurely. Because premature children do not have fully formed organs, they are more vulnerable to suffer from hypoxic injury to the brain-a contributing cause of CP.

Recently, researchers have stated that the leading cause of cerebral palsy in children is most likely infection in the mother. Studies show that infection can triple the chances of the child developing CP because cytokines, which are produced as a response to infection in the mother, can be toxic for the fetal brain.

Treatment Options

While there is no known cure for cerebral palsy, there are treatment options available that can help affected individuals function effectively. As with most illnesses and ailments, the earlier treatment begins, the greater the individuals’ recovery should be. Most often, treatment will include one or more of the following

· Physical therapy

· Occupational therapy

· Speech therapy

· Medication

· Hyperbaric oxygen

· Botox (to relax muscles)

· Surgery

· Braces, or other orthotic devices

· Communication aids

Interestingly, massage therapy and participation in hatha yoga have also been used in recent years, as massage therapy relaxes tense muscles and hatha yoga promotes healthy deep breathing (which can prevent lung infection). However, more research is necessary to determine the effectiveness of these treatment options in CP patients.

If you would like more information on the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for cerebral palsy, contact the Houston birth-injury lawyers of Williams Kherkher today.