Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Sometimes called spastic diplegia, diplegic cerebral palsy is a version of the disability that is characterized by frequent spasms and muscle tensing. A person with this disorder tends to feel the tension most in their legs. Over enough time, this constant tensing of the muscles can affect the joints and reduce the person’s overall range of motion. Nonetheless, diplegic cerebral palsy is considered to be a milder form of the disability. Generally, a child will no experience any impact to their cognitive abilities or intelligence, though certain intellectual milestones may take them a bit more time to reach.
How Infants Acquire Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
The most common way a baby gets diplegic cerebral palsy is because of neonatal asphyxia. This usually occurs when a newborn ends up without enough oxygen during the birthing process. Children who come out prematurely and/or have a low weight at birth are also at a greater risk of potentially acquiring this disability. Both traits can expose a baby to oxygen issues when birth occurs.
Rubella, high-grade fevers, and other maternal infections during pregnancy can also lead to an infant developing diplegic cerebral palsy.
Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: Its Symptoms and Characteristics
Depending on the individual, diplegic cerebral palsy can take on a number of different traits and symptoms. These may include:
In infancy, a baby may use only its arms to get around, but not their legs to actually crawl. Some will remain immobile and simply never attempt to crawl.
Between the ages of 1 and 3, infants and toddlers should be learning to sit cross-legged, which helps with posture. Some children with diplegic cerebral palsy will prefer to sit in a “W” shape instead
When a child starts walking, you may notice they do so with their feet turned toward each other. They may also roll on their feet as they move.
Children who are walking may also be unable to go more than a short distance.
Spastic hip diseases are not only common amongst children with diplegic cerebral palsy, but will actually increase in severity over time. Hip dislocation as well as other types of joint problems will become more and more likely as the child gets older.
Standing alone may be too difficult for a child, even when they get to three years old.
A child’s leg muscles may quickly change from rigid and stiff to relaxed and floppy.
Diagnosis of Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
Even though a physician may know your child was deprived of oxygen during the delivery, they may be hesitant to make a diagnosis at that time of any kind of cerebral palsy. As the main symptoms of diplegic cerebral palsy affect the child’s legs, it will be several months before any confirmation is possible. The child must first exhibit signs that they are having trouble moving their legs and facing delays with their normal development.
Diplegic Cerebral Palsy Treatment
Just like with most types of cerebral palsy, physical therapy can go a long way toward helping people live with it. Not only will physical therapy help build up the child’s muscles; it will make a big difference where coordination, balance and daily tasks are concerned.
Massage therapy has also become popular for children with this disability. Even infants can benefit from this form of care. It helps in relieving stress and reducing the stiffness in the child’s muscles.
Of course, medication can also be very helpful for decreasing muscle spasms as well as the various forms of stiffness people with cerebral palsy suffer from. If medication does not ease the pain, however, a physician may prescribe orthopedic surgery.

Being the least invasive form of cerebral palsy means a diagnosis of diplegic cerebral palsy does not have to mean the end of the world. Although they will have daily challenges to face, going in regularly to have hip check-ups will make a big difference in the quality of life that can be expected.

Difficulties in Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

Developmental disorders like cerebral palsy are hard to diagnose. Younger children have a higher capacity to heal, and there are many children who fully recover from developmental problems caused by brain injury.
Additionally, early diagnoses of cerebral palsy are difficult to make because it’s hard to differentiate between the signs of CP and the normal reflexes of a developing child. It’s also harder to detect CP in children whose condition is mild because very young children and those with CP both lack motor control and coordination. Therefore, observing the development of the child’s motor skills is the first step toward making a diagnosis.
Common reasons why cerebral palsy is hard to diagnose include:
It may take years for clear signs to appear
Many children with brain damage make a recovery
Levels of severity vary greatly
Signs of CP resemble other disorders
Paying close attention to a child’s delays in motor control is important to rule out any other disorders that look like cerebral palsy in the first months of life. For example, transient dystonia (irregular flexing of the torso) often occurs in prematurely born babies. Infants with transient dystonia have movement issues very similar to infants with CP, but transient dystonia can be corrected after one year of age.

Doctors are usually hesitant to make a diagnosis of cerebral palsy because it shares many symptoms with other conditions. Doctors try to avoid putting more stress on the parent until they are absolutely sure the problem is cerebral palsy.

Is Cerebral Palsy Genetic

These are good questions that we receive in our call center quite regularly as parents strive to learn what caused their child’s cerebral palsy. Most parents want to know whether any future pregnancies will result in cerebral palsy.
With the advancement of neuroimaging technology, researchers have been able to study brain injury and brain malformation to understand how genetic mutations, genetic deletions, risk factors, and health status interact to create causal pathways toward abnormal brain development. The research enables scientists to identify risk factors, prevention measures, and surgical techniques for cerebral palsy.
Many organizations are working to reduce the occurrence of cerebral palsy; understanding when, how and why brain damage occurs during various stages of development is crucial to achieving that goal.

According to the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation, 70% of brain damage that causes cerebral palsy occurs prior to birth, mostly in the second and third pregnancy trimesters. Twenty percent occurs during the birthing period while 10% occurs during the first two years of life while the brain is still forming. The industry has identified four key terms to help discern “when” the brain damage occurs.

How Cerebral Palsy is Diagnosed

Most cerebral palsy is present at birth (congenital), and signs of it may be apparent shortly after delivery; however, delayed development when the baby becomes two or three months old is often the first signal that there is a problem. While many children with CP are diagnosed before they are two years old, milder cases of CP may elude diagnosis until the child is four or five years old.
Evaluating for Cerebral Palsy
When a doctor suspects a child may have cerebral palsy, he or she will first evaluate the patient’s motor skills. A through medical history will be taken. Because many other disorders present symptoms similar to cerebral palsy the possibility of these conditions must be ruled out before a diagnosis of cerebral palsy can be confirmed
The first step in ruling out another condition consists of determining whether or not the child’s disability is getting progressively worse. Cerebral palsy is not a progressive disorder, although complications over time can make it worse. If the child’s condition is getting progressively worse, CP is ruled out.
Doctors will test for genetic or muscle diseases, if the disorder proves not to be cerebral palsy. Tumors or a metabolism disorder will also be tested for. A coagulation disorder can mimic the symptoms of CP because it causes strokes in the unborn or newborn baby which block blood flow and deprive the brain of sufficient oxygen. A coagulation disorder may also be the cause of CP. If a coagulation disorder is still present, it must be treated to prevent further brain damage.
If the child’s condition is not getting progressively worse, it is a sign that CP may indeed be the cause of the child’s problems. To confirm a diagnosis of CP, many diagnostic tests can be used.
Tests which can confirm CP.
To confirm a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, doctors will use brain imaging techniques which allow them to see brain abnormalities and brain damage. The particular tests used are chosen in part based on the patient’s overall condition.
A cranial ultrasound is easier on patients than some of the other tests and so it is used on fragile, premature babies. A cranial ultrasound cannot show the detailed brain images that an MRI or a CT scan can, but it does give doctors some idea about what is happening in the baby’s brain.
For patients in less fragile condition a CT (computerized tomography) scan or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan will be used. The CT scan shows the structure of the brain in detail and allows doctors to more easily pinpoint the location of the damage or abnormalities.
An MRI uses radio waves, magnetic fields, and computer analysis to give an even more detailed picture of the brain. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosing any brain disorder.

An EEG (electroencephalogram) which uses electrodes to monitor the brain’s electrical activity may also be given. An EEG is especially useful if doctors suspect a seizure disorder may be present along with CP.

Treatments and Medications For Cerebral Palsy

Children and adults with cerebral palsy require long-term care with a medical care team. This team may include:
Pediatrician or physiatrist.A pediatrician oversees the treatment plan and medical care.

Pediatric neurologist. A doctor trained in diagnosing and treating children with brain and nervous system (neurological) disorders may be involved in your child's care.
Orthopedic surgeon. A doctor trained in treating muscle and bone disorders may be involved in diagnosing and treating muscle conditions.
Physical therapist. A physical therapist may help your child improve strength and walking skills, and stretch muscles.
Occupational therapist. An occupational therapist can provide therapy to your child to develop daily skills and to learn to use adaptive products that help with daily activities.
Speech-language pathologist. A doctor trained in diagnosing and treating speech and language disorders may work with your child if your child has difficulties with speech, swallowing or language.
Developmental therapist. A developmental therapist may provide therapy to help your child develop age-appropriate behaviors, social skills and interpersonal skills.
Mental health specialist. A mental health specialist, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, may be involved in your child's care. He or she may help you and your child learn to cope with your child's disability.
Social worker. A social worker may be involved in assisting your family with finding services and planning for transitions in care.
Special education teacher. A special education teacher addresses learning disabilities, determines educational needs and identifies appropriate educational resources.
Medications For Cerebral Palsy
Medications that can lessen the tightness of muscles may be used to improve functional abilities, treat pain and manage complications related to spasticity or other cerebral palsy symptoms.
It's important to talk about the risk of drug treatments with your doctor and discuss whether medical treatment is appropriate for your child's needs. The selection of medications depends on whether the problem affects only certain muscles (isolated) or the whole body (generalized). Drug treatments may include the following:
Isolated spasticity. When spasticity is isolated to one muscle group, your doctor may recommend injections of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) directly into the muscle, nerve or both. Botox injections may help to improve drooling. Your child will need injections about every three months.
Side effects may include pain, bruising or severe weakness. Other more-serious side effects include difficulty breathing and swallowing.
Generalized spasticity. If the whole body is affected, oral muscle relaxants may relax stiff, contracted muscles. These drugs include diazepam (Valium), dantrolene (Dantrium) and baclofen (Gablofen).
There is some risk of dependency with diazepam, so it's not recommended for long-term use. Its side effects include drowsiness, weakness and drooling.
Side effects of dantrolene include sleepiness, nausea and or diarrhea.

Side effects of baclofen include sleepiness, confusion and nausea. Baclofen may also be pumped directly into the spinal cord with a tube. The pump is surgically implanted under the skin of the abdomen.

What Cost of Cerebral Palsy Treatment

Every day there will be over ten of CP kids or children who are taken by their parents, mother or father or both to come to visit our stem cell treatment for seeking some hope on improving the CP children’s current medical condition.I don’t know the cost of cerebral palsy in our country. But I read about one article on it and share here to you.
One commonly quoted study detailing the cost of cerebral palsy treatment in the U.S. was published by The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on January 30, 2004 and titled, “Economic Costs Associated with Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing Loss, and Vision Impairment – United States, 2003.”
The article reports “lifetime costs in 2003 dollars are expected to total $51.2 billion for persons born in 2000 with mental retardation, $11.5 billion for persons with cerebral palsy, $1.9 billion for persons with hearing loss, and $2.6 billion for persons with vision impairment.”
Of the $11.5 billion expense for persons with cerebral palsy:
• Indirect costs – 80.6%, or $9.241 billion, accounts for indirect expenses such as productivity loss due to inability to work; limitation in the amount or type of work; and premature mortality
• Direct medical costs – 10.2%, or $1.175 billion, includes physician visits, prescription medications, in-patient hospital stays, assistive devices, therapies, rehabilitation, and long-term care
• Direct non-medical costs – 9.2%, or $1.054 billion, includes such expenses special education, home and automobile modifications

The study, a collaborative effort between the CDC and RTI International, examines direct and indirect medical expenses associated with developmental disabilities. The study was based on 2003 dollars for individuals born with developmental disabilities (DD) in the year 2000.

Stem Cell Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Have you ever heard about stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy? Do you know what is the stem cell and cerebral palsy? Before treatment of people with cerebral palsy, knowing what is the cerebral palsy is very important. Cerebral palsy is one of the most common congenital of disorder of childhood disease that affect movement problem and make people lack of coordination. If you have a child or family member suffer from cerebral palsy, you must very worry and want to try any therapy to help they to have health body.
As we all know, cerebral palsy is still incurable disease at present. With development of the social of development, more and more people suffer from cerebral palsy. People start pay attention to treatment of cerebral palsy and want to help children who suffer from cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy usually have those common symptoms, it is include: Loss of movement or muscle weakness in a group of muscles,vision problems, hearing problems, drooling, balance problem, abnormal posture, and so on.
 Do you know what is the stem cell transplantation therapy? Stem cell therapy is different from other therapies, it is have self functions and abilities that can effective treatment for cerebral palsy. Stem cells are give to replace damage cells and death cells to work normally.

What are the advantages of stem cells have? Stem cells have secretion function that means it is can secret growth factors and nutrition, which can supply to human body need. Stem cells also have repairing function that can repair damage cells to work again. Stem cells also have replacement ability that can replace death cells and it is can rebuild new tissues in the brain. Thus, stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy is the most effective therapy.