If your child was born with cerebral palsy, or acquired cerebral palsy during the course of early childhood, there is no doubt you understand the vast array of health complications that may arise. For many children, the complications associated with cerebral palsy will follow them through to adulthood. To prepare your child, appropriately, for the transition into adulthood, you should begin to address these continuing health complications around the time that adolescence begins.

Around the age of 16 or 17, a teenager who lives with cerebral palsy will need to begin the transition from pediatric healthcare providers to those that manage CP for adults. While some pediatric healthcare specialists will continue to see your child through to early adulthood, most will discontinue providing care once your child reaches age 21. During the adolescent period, therefore, a transition will begin in which your healthcare team will change and, ultimately, your child will begin to assume some degree of responsibility for their own healthcare needs.

One area of health that is often overlooked in cerebral palsy teenagers, involves the maintenance of regular vision screenings. With as many as 33 percent of all cerebral palsy patients experiencing vision disorders, most CP patients obtain annual vision exams as part of the routine health screening. With the special education program in school encouraging and maintaining these vision records, you may have relied on their notification to obtain vision screening when it is due. When your child reaches adolescence, and transits to early adulthood, the school will no longer provide this reminder notice to you and, as a result, you and your adult child will need to begin tracking and scheduling these types of appointments.

As your child ages and enters into adulthood, there will be additional cardiovascular complications that may arise. With the risk for developing edema in the lower extremities, due to irregular nerve impulses, the arteries and veins will begin to require more aggressive treatment than that of childhood. For adults with cerebral palsy, therefore, it will be important to establish a relationship with a cardiologist who specializes in the care of CP patients.

Arthritis is also going to become a health concern for your adult child with cerebral palsy. As your child ages, degenerative changes will occur that will often lead to the development of arthritic complications. To effectively manage these risks, be certain you and your child are establishing care with an internal medicine specialist who is also familiar with cerebral palsy.

Children with cerebral palsy require consistent medical attention from a team of pediatric healthcare specialists who are familiar with this health complication. As your child ages, however, it will become important to transit to a team of healthcare professionals who can manage the cerebral palsy complication into adulthood. Because many physicians begin to discontinue treatment during adolescence, your search for new healthcare professionals should begin around your child's 16th birthday and then progress into adulthood. Be certain to add ophthalmology, internal medicine and cardiology to this list of specialists.