As an uncle to a young woman who has cerebral palsy, it is not difficult to share the causes of cerebral palsy because they are issues that one becomes aware of upon finding out that this condition has joined the family and, that is what happens, cerebral palsy joins the family and, in some cases it takes it over.

Cerebral palsy is a term that is a "catch-all" phrase for problems with muscle tone. The muscles may be too rigid or too flaccid but, there is a problem with the muscle. As a result of this there may be problems with mental disabilities, bone structure, movement and, truly anything one can think of. What are the causes of cerebral palsy? They all have to do with the brain; some form of brain damage. The causes of cerebral palsy emanate from the brain but the damage to the brain may be for a number of reasons.

There may be a problem with a brain developing properly. There may be a problem with a brain having an infection such as meningitis. Premature babies are at risk as was my niece. Unfortunately some babies are injured during birth. Cerebral palsy is a major battleground for lawsuits. There are several different types of cerebral palsy. First is Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, which means that the patient has involuntary and spastic movements. Next there is Ataxic Cerebral Palsy with is essentially a problem with balance and depth perception, and, this is what I am familiar with. Another type is Spastic Cerebral Palsy which is stiff and difficult movement. Finally, there is a condition called "Mixed Cerebral Palsy" which is actually a combination of the others.

My niece actually has a fairly light condition. However, when you consider the causes of cerebral palsy and, the end results, one understands how difficult an illness it truly is. While my niece is able to speak reasonably well and is also mobile, she will never be able to drive a car and, she is not able to walk without major assistance not because she doesn't have the strength but because she has poor balance and depth perception. Since the causes of cerebral palsy all revert back to the brain, it is not surprising that therapy plays a large (gigantic) role in the life of the patient and the family.

The above is what I meant when I said that cerebral palsy can actually take over a family. Certainly a person can have it so badly that they are completely dependent in that they can't move or talk, however, most people have a reasonable life span. However, therapy is a large part of life because even if, as in my niece's case the symptoms are reasonably light, failure to work the muscles can prevent continued maintenance. While not a progressive condition, cerebral palsy causes "wear and tear" on the body and it is important to have therapy. Families spend a lot of time getting the patient to and from medical appointments.

The types of therapies that people typically engage in include speech therapy, physical therapy, perhaps drug therapy and perhaps surgery. One of the problems with the causes of cerebral palsy is that the symptoms can be representative of many other illnesses such as lethargy, irritability and low feeding desire.

We were lucky because my niece was a premature baby the doctors were on the lookout for certain medical issues. During her first year they were able to get her on a quick therapeutic program. Of course, there are support groups and one thing I have learned is that people do help and, that no matter how disadvantaged a child is, their parents are just as close to them and see many, many traits to love.

Reference:
about-cerebral-palsy.org For types of cerebral palsy

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