Cerebral Palsy – Definition, Aetiology, classification, Signs and Symptoms

Cerebral palsy is a broad term and hence, hard to define. The symptoms of disease are non communicable and less progressive. Patient suffers many changes that make the physical development hindered.

It is a group of affections and multiple disorders. The brain has three parts: forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. The forebrain also known as cerebrum is affected in this disorder.

Cerebral palsy can be classified into four main classes:

• Spastic – comes about in 70 to 80 percent of all cases;
• Ataxic – happens in almost 10 percent;
• Athetoid or Dyskinetic – takes place in 40 percent of all cases; and
• Mixed – blends 2 or all 3 types of cerebral palsy.

Guiding symptoms and signs to cerebral palsy:

• Subnormal muscular tonus (stiff or floppy)
• defective posture (always slouches when sitting)
• disfigurations in articulation and bone (fixed or tight muscles and joints)
• cramps (involuntary movement or facial gestures)
• scissor walking (knocked knees)
• deficiency of equilibrium (uneven gait)

In grave cases of cerebral palsy, children bear an asymmetric posture, with their small bodies might be either lax or stiff.

Aetiology behind Cerebral Palsy

The causations of cerebral palsy have been a puzzle to physicians, even after such a rise in medical science. Merely a few ahead of time analyzes have accomplished that it could perhaps come about during these 3 stages:

• at some stage in maternity (almost 75 percent),
• while giving birth (about 5 percent), and
• after the baby is born up to age of about three years old (about 15 percent).

Reasons of cerebral palsy prior to birth: -

• asphyxia (oxygen lack prior to and during birth)
• hypoxia (stimulated by asphyxia)
• injury while giving birth
• early birth
• mother had contagions during gestation
• multiple birth (twins or triplets)

Reasons of cerebral palsy after birth: -

• contagions in the CNS (attributable to physical brain injury)
• Icterus (characterized by yellowing of skin)
• toxins (i.e. lead poisoning)
• encephalitis (inflaming of the brain)
• meningitis (inflaming of parts of brain and spinal cord)
• hypoxia (stimulated by asphyxia during drowning accidents)

Reasons of of cerebral palsy due to asphyxia in young babies:-

• choking,
• intoxication, and
• near drowning

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