Cerebral palsy, or CP, is the most common motor disability in children. {1} There are several suspected causes of cerebral palsy, including brain injuries during childbirth.
CP refers to a neurological disorder caused by a one-time injury, or disturbance in development, to the areas of the brain involved with motor control. The word cerebral refers to the brain and palsy to difficulty in controlling movement.
A child suffering from CP may experience difficulty include muscle control, coordination, muscle tone, reflexes, and posture and balance. In most cases, the injury occurs before, during or shortly after birth. It may also occur after the neonatal period, but must be during the first few years of life, during early neurological development, to be considered cerebral palsy. {2}
Although CP does not get worse with time, the expression of the initial brain injury may change as the brain develops. Additionally, there is ongoing wear and tear on the muscles and bones caused by the coordination and posture issues. There is no cure for cerebral palsy. However, medical and therapeutic interventions can improve symptoms.
What are the causes of Cerebral Palsy?
The cause of cerebral palsy is a brain injury or brain malformation that occurs while the brain is developing. As a result of the brain damage during brain development, a child can suffer:
- lack of muscle control
- decreased muscle coordination
- lack of muscle tone
- impacted reflexes
- poor posture and balance
- impacted fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning
Every case of cerebral palsy is unique. Every injury, the extent of the injury and the timing of the injury are also unique. The brain damage that causes cerebral palsy is a result of either:
- Prenatal disturbance of brain cell migration – genetic and environmental factors disturb cell migration during gestation. These genetic and environmental factors prevent the brain cells from migrating to their proper position.
- Insufficient insulation (myelination) of developing nerve cell fibers while in the womb – brain function is impeded when poor myelin provides an inadequate protective covering over nerve cells that aid in the transmission.
- Perinatal brain cell death – events during birth that deprive the child’s brain of oxygen causing brain cell death and injury.
- Postnatal non-functional or inappropriate connections between brain cells – caused by trauma, infections, or lack of oxygen that damage connections developed in the brain.
Raising a child with CP impacts the entire family. Each child is a blessing. And all children come with their unique gifts and challenges. Focusing on a child with CP’s abilities and gifts may be difficult. Parents of children with CP should look to family and friends for support. Also, there are blogs and online resources for parents raising children with CP.
CP Daily Living offers journals and resources for parents and caregivers.
Hopeful Parents offers a place where parents can share their feelings.
Love That Max is a blog about special needs children “who kick butt.”
If your child was injured during birth and now struggles with cerebral palsy, no attorney can right that wrong. They can only help defray the cost of your child’s care and seek compensation for your harms and losses. Contact Chelsie King Garza for a free consultation.
{2} The 2004 International Summit on defining and classifying CP Rosenbaurm et al. (2007).
