728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Physical Challenges › An Overview of Cerebral Palsy

An Overview of Cerebral Palsy

When Your Child Has Celebral Palsy

By Kelly Burgess

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Medical advances over the past 200 years have allowed for incredible improvements in the quality of our lives. People are living longer and staying healthy into very old age. Diseases that once proved deadly are treatable, often curable, or at the very least, can be managed long term. Modern infant mortality is a fraction of what it was in the 1800s.

Ironically, it is these very advances that have led to an increase in the incidence of cerebral palsy, which is caused by an injury to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. Dr. Murray Goldstein, director of research and education for United Cerebral Palsy, says it's because more premature babies are surviving long term.

"One of the leading risk factors for cerebral palsy is prematurity," says Dr. Goldstein. "Until relatively recently, any child that weighed less than 3 1/2 pounds at birth would die. Now we're keeping infants alive at 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, but they are at a high risk of brain injury, particularly at the lower birth weights."

About Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy has almost certainly been around since the beginning of time, although it wasn't identified and named until the 1800s. In general, the term "cerebral palsy" is used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to the brain that can occur during fetal development, shortly after birth or during early infancy. Dr. Goldstein says that the symptomology of any brain damage regardless of age is similar, but it is the time of occurrence that leads to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.