Category: Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is defined as “a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by movement and posture disorders causing activity limitations” (Gagliardi et al., 2018). The overall research was conducted in the Italian scientific institution called “IRCCS Eugenio Medea”. The main researcher on this study is Chiara Gagliardi, specifically working within the neurorehabilitation unit has performed numerous researches in order to improve a range of conditions linked with neuro disorders using advanced technology. Some of her previous work includes “A Different Brain: Anomalies of Functional and Structural Connections in Williams Syndrome” (Research Gate, 2018) and “Effects of dose and duration of Robot-Assisted Gait Training on the walking ability of children affected by cerebral Palsy” (Research Gate, 2017). Another researcher that has had a huge impact on this research is Emilia Biffi. Biffi has conducted numerous research papers using advanced technology and focusing on improving neuro diseases such as “A Virtual Design Process to Produce Scoliosis Braces by Additive Manufacturing” (Research Gate, 2019). Anna Carla Turconi is another valuable piece of research that has contributed immensely to the study of Cerebral Palsy using advanced biomechanical technology. This includes Turconi’s study into “An Immersive Virtual Reality Platform to Enhance Walking Ability of Children with Acquired Brain Injuries” (Research Gate, 2017). Cristina Maghini was also involved in the research of the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy. Maghini is a highly regarded professional where she works closely with cerebral palsy, gait movement, patient rehabilitation, and advanced technology such as robots and virtual reality. Alessia Marelli, Ambra Cesareo, Elenora Diella, and Daniele Panzeri are the other researchers involved in this case study contributing towards rehabilitation medicine, Orthopaedic surgery, Physiotherapy, and Neurology (Research Gate, 2018). Due to these professional attributions to the study and the strong understanding of neuro diseases and advanced technologies of biomechanics background of Gagliardi, Biffi and Turconi provide the research paper with reliable work that has been carried out appropriate, ethical and is deemed valid.

Cerebral Palsy is often described as “the most severe physical disability within the spectrum of developmental delay” (Gagliardi et al., 2018). Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to improve walking gait patterns of those affected by Cerebral Palsy using advanced kinematic and kinetic paraments of Immersive Virtuality Reality treatment. From the data collected the researchers came to a conclusion that there was in fact a various amount of effective forms of Cerebral Palsy treatment.

The research was conducted at the Scientific Institute E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy, where 16 children (10 males, 6 females) between the ages of 7 and 16 years with bilateral Cerebral Palsy were recruited. In other cases, this sample size would usually be considered a low sample size, however, because only bilateral cases of Cerebral Palsy were examined it is classified as “concise”. From this, the research has a doubt in the repeatability due to the small number of participants and whether or not improvements will occur in all types of Cerebral Palsy as differences in joint kinetics, degrees of mobility are all limitations that need to be accounted for. The tests were performed on the Gait Real-time Analysis Interactive Lab (GRAIL), this system monitored the children’s walking patterns through one daily session for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week which accumulated to 18 sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Although 4 weeks is enough time to accumulate results, if the tests were conducted over a longer period of time, the data could conduct more reliable results to determine whether or not these tests help with a child’s development of Cerebral Palsy. Motor functional abilities were conducted throughout the tests, this was assessed by the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), energy expenditure was recorded by using a “3 axis accelerometer, heat flux sensor, galvanic skin response sensor (GSR), skin temperature sensor and a near body ambient temperature sensor” (Gagliardi et al., 2018) and parents or caregivers were given a Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) to rate the walking ability of their children, these techniques were all used to increase the reliability of the research. The children were able to work at their own pace and exercised performed were ones that mirrored real-life situations that these individuals may have not been able to e.g. skiing, hitting as many elves as possible while squatting, kick balls at targets, walking in a forest as fast as possible, etc… These fun interactive activities for the kids to enjoy, kept the kids motivated, positive and entertained as opposed to traditional approaches where repetition is key. A questionnaire set up for the children would have been a good approach to allow the researchers to develop valuable feedback and the effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality activities.

The data shown throughout the study is clear and concise and sums up that the GRAIL system is a key factor in the improvements of motor function of bilateral Cerebral Palsy. All participants except one had successfully completed all 18 sessions and results have shown that throughout the 4 weeks, bilateral stride length, walking speed, running and jumping capacity, ankle and hip power, and ankle and pelvis ROM in stance and swing had all increased, whilst excessive knee flexion, step width and stance time had all reduced (Gagliardi et al., 2018), which indicates a positive result of using Immersive Virtual Reality to help improve bilateral Cerebral Palsy. The children compared to healthy adults in table 3, show the improvement in the efficiency of their walking gait. The results of the caregivers showed that there was very little visual improvement, however, the statistical evidence shows that there in fact has been a positive improvement. Instead of the results being shown in decimals it would have been more effective if they were shown in percentages in order to interpret them better and understand the degree of improvement indicated. The children participants were only selected if they have had no previous treatment such as botulinum toxin-A treatment 16 weeks prior to the testing or orthopedic surgery, intrathecal baclofen treatment, or selective dorsal rhizotomy within the last 12 months prior to the rehabilitation (Gagliardi et al., 2018). Due to the exclusion of these children, it is unknown whether or not these factors would have changed the outcome of the results and raises questions as to why those children were unable to participate in the test, ultimately making the test unreliable for those with previous treatment. The data of the children were compared to 10 healthy adults; however, these adults were predominately female giving a 9:1 ratio (Gagliardi et al., 2018). This indicates that the male children with Cerebral Palsy were most likely compared to female adults which are unreliable as males, and females share different characteristics. This can be proven by the study of Bruening and Frimenko in 2015 that proved there are greater pelvic rotation, range of motion, and stride length in females (Bruening et al., 2015).

Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term for a group of movement limiting disorders resulting in muscle tightness, muscle weakness, and tremors in one or more limbs. This often manifests itself as poor balance and coordination, but the symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, as some suffering from the condition can function almost completely normally while others are completely unable to care for themselves. Cerebral palsy is often referred to as a spectrum disorder as it covers diagnosed individuals that may fall anywhere between the two extremes. The disorder almost always affects children early in life and is not progressive, meaning it does not get worse over time. Infants with cerebral palsy can be recognized very early, as most symptoms first become evident between 2 months and 2 years of age. The clearest indicator of cerebral palsy in children is a developmental delay since affected children will have difficulty learning basic and fine motor skills. Cerebral palsy, in its varying degrees, is actually the most prevalent movement disorder in children, affecting two per thousand live births, although this figure is quite significantly higher when analyzing only babies born weighing less than 1500g. When diagnosing a child with cerebral palsy, particularly stiff or floppy muscle tone, difficulty crawling or walking, a strong favoring of one limb over its opposite, or difficulty controlling one arm can all be excellent tells. A large portion of those affected gets cerebral palsy during or after birth following any sort of event that could possibly damage the child’s brain, impeding their ability to control the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain in charge of muscle function. Possible causes are blood flow issues in development, genetic abnormalities, maternal infections, or injuries before, during, and after birth.

Cerebral palsy has been affecting humans for essentially all of recorded history, although it wasn’t until nearly 1900 that it was connected to brain damage around childbirth. Neurologist William Gowers named the paralysis from birth ‘birth palsy’, and broke it into two specific types: peripheral palsy and cerebral palsy. Peripheral palsy affects facial nerves causing the person to have little or no control over parts of their face, whereas cerebral palsy limits the person’s control over the cerebral cortex, causing them to have little or no control over groups of muscles in one or more limb. Initially, and often throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century, cerebral palsy was actually mistaken for polio, as cerebral palsy’s more severe cases can appear very similar to the paralyzing effects of polio, especially when examining an infant. As time progressed, doctors were able to tell the difference and realized that while cerebral palsy can not be cured, patients could be given physical rehabilitation to greatly increase their level of ability. Today there is a great deal of medical structure helping children with cerebral palsy keep their bodies as functional as possible with mild or extensive physical therapy, dependant on the severity of the case.

Since cerebral palsy is almost always caused by damage to the brain during development and has no cure, the most effective way to treat cerebral palsy is to prevent it. Some of the most current strategies to decrease the risk of cerebral palsy include medical intervention to prolong pregnancy, antenatal steroids for mothers expected to deliver prematurely, and caffeine for extremely low birth weight children. Low birth weight children are actually several times more susceptible to developing cerebral palsy, as their brains are not able to fully develop outside of the womb. Approximately fifty percent of cerebral palsy cases come from premature births. Cerebral palsy is often thought of as a condition that affects only children, but since child mortality from cerebral palsy has become a rare occurrence, almost every child with cerebral palsy will survive to adulthood. The effects of cerebral palsy do not worsen over time, but the condition does affect development through the adolescent and middle ages.

Mortality from cerebral palsy is predominantly from infancy and childbirth, but this can be attributed to children whose brain damage is quite severe and was highly disabled, having muscular paralysis affecting vital organs. In a UK study, it was found that 99% of adults with cerebral palsy and no severe impairment survived past age 30, and 95% with just one severe disability survived. The survival rate declined exponentially in children with additional disabilities. Just 78% of children with two disabilities were likely to reach adulthood, and only 59% with three disabilities survived. Only 33% of the few children with four disabilities survived to age 30. There is a lack of medical studies following cerebral palsy cases through development into adulthood, as the majority of the research being done is focused on infancy and early development. A UK study found adults with cerebral palsy not described as severe were more likely to die of respiratory diseases, but they were also less likely to die of injuries and accidents than the general population. There is a great deal of variance in the survival of cerebral palsy since there is a great deal of variance in the severity people can be affected with. While some people can lead a normal life despite the condition, others can not even take basic care of themselves.

It is expected that the coming years will see an increase in adults with cerebral palsy, as the rate of children being diagnosed has not slowed much in the last dozen years, but the chances of a patient whose cerebral palsy has been described as severe surviving to advanced years have been steadily rising.

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic disorders that involve degrees of brain damage that affect body control and movement. The term cerebral refers to the brain, while palsy describes a disorder that impairs the control of body movement. These disorders are not the result of muscles or nerves problems. Instead, they are due to impaired motor areas in the brain that disrupt its ability to control movement and posture. The condition typically appears within the first few years of life and is not marked by regression. Cerebral palsy is a non-contagious, non-progressive neuro-muscular disorder that impairs standard muscle control.

Cerebral Palsy can either be present before birth, can occur during the delivery process, or can even develop up to several years after a child is born. The disorder is most commonly a non-progressive motor disorder. More severe symptoms in children with cerebral palsy may result in basically no muscle control, greatly affecting their lives. There are some individuals that suffer a mild cerebral palsy form. Many people do not know that mild cerebral palsy exists because the symptoms of this cerebral palsy form are able to lead “normal” lives. Since cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage, the severity of the cerebral palsy is dependent upon how much brain damage exists.

Sometimes, mild cerebral palsy patients cause other disorders to occur. The way that these disorders affect the mild cerebral palsy individual can be mild or severe, requiring the mild cerebral palsy patient to need more treatment. Since every mild cerebral palsy patient is affected in his/her own way, developing an individualized mild cerebral palsy treatment plan is required. There are many different types of cerebral palsy. Types of cerebral palsy are classified by the type of movement problems caused by brain impairment that indicate motor disability include spastic, ataxic, athetoid, and mixed cerebral palsy. The disorder usually does not get any worse; yet it is an irreversible, everlasting illness that does not subside.

Cerebral palsy occurs either during pregnancy or after pregnancy as the brain is impaired while in the process of developing. The effects of cerebral palsy are important when factored into a person’s lifestyle because it can affect a person’s posture, balance, hearing, and ability to move, communicating, eating, sleeping and learning. People who have Cerebral Palsy may also be prone to seizures and have intellectual impairments. Mixed cerebral palsy is characterized by both spastic and non-spastic impairments. The type of mixed cerebral palsy that is most common encompasses the extremities to be affected by both spasticity and athetosis. The research and investigation of cerebral palsy have advanced all over the world allowing the knowledge of this disorder to be studied and the ability to understand the concept and treatment possibilities of cerebral palsy.

When these parts of the brain are damaged, the messages are not received properly as they should. Thus, miscommunication affects the muscles. For example, when the brain commands the affected limb to straighten, it cannot, making the hand, or foot turn inward involuntarily than outward. Unfortunately, brain damage is irreversible. And while it is possible to at least lessen certain risks for Cerebral Palsy with modern medicine and technology, it cannot be prevented.

Cerebral palsy cannot be easily diagnosed in infancy. However, there are early signs that could suggest Cerebral Palsy that include stiffness, difficulty with crawling, standing and moving in position, and favoring one side. It can be noticed when the baby does not roll over properly and fails to meet developmental milestones. Children with the disorder are usually diagnosed about before age three years or even earlier. The pediatrician can sometimes diagnose cerebral palsy during the baby’s check-up as was the case in my diagnosis when I was 11-months old.

As with many other children that are affected and diagnosed with cerebral palsy some will have speech and/or language abnormalities. Factors that either contribute or supplement the defective speech of these children usually include visual and audible discrepancies and reduced visual-motor management. As the problems experienced by children with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy range widely, there is no single universally appropriate form of treatment.

Poor speech impairs communication and is often interpreted as a sign of cognitive impairment, which can be very frustrating to children with cerebral palsy, especially the majority who have average to above-average intelligence. Sensory and motor discrepancies are important factors that need to be of concern during speech therapy as well. Another way, a doctor asks the parents with a child who has possible Cerebral Palsy is my observations in their child’s daily physical movements. A doctor can perform an M.R.I. to produce an image of the brain, do intelligence tests, test reflexes, and do self-observations by having the child do simple commands (ex. stand up straight) and refer to the eye or ear specialists if need be. Blood tests are done to see if there are other conditions as early signs do not always translate to Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a blanket term for impaired or loss of motor function due to damage to an immature brain (Cerebral Palsy). The injury must occur before, during, or immediately after birth to be considered cerebral palsy. Evidence suggests that most of the damage occurs during prenatal development. Because of all of this, people with Cerebral Palsy have trouble with speaking, eating, moving, learning, and controlling eye movements. One of the most common side effects of cerebral palsy is spasticity. Spasticity causes increased muscle tone and tension. Some effects of spasticity are inhibition of movement, muscle growth, and protein synthesis, limited stretching of muscles in daily activities, muscle and joint deformities (Cerebral Palsy). If left alone, severe spasticity can lead to permanently stiff muscles. Approximately 80 out of 100 patients with cerebral palsy have varying degrees of spasticity. While there is currently no cure for cerebral palsy, a wide variety of treatments are available.

The original thought was that Cerebral Palsy was a result of birth trauma and the physician’s competence was a large factor in the incidence of Cerebral Palsy. It appears that only 8% of Cerebral Palsy cases are due to intrapartum events but most of these seemed to originate their etiology from prenatal or postnatal factors. Most Cerebral Palsy patients with ‘normal intelligence’ have perceptual problems and must be placed in learning disability classes. Several theories have been given as to the cause of Cerebral Palsy which includes neonatal jaundice, genetics, infections of infancy, neonatal asphyxia, and birth trauma. Neonatal jaundice causes bilirubin encephalopathy which is not common today with Rh immunization and other clinical advances that prevent the massive lysis of child Red Blood Cells. Genetic causes of Cerebral Palsy have been linked to an autosomal recessive gene in a few cases of the ataxic diplegia form. Infancy attributions include head trauma and meningitis. This conclusion comes from the fact that Cerebral Palsy children had similar Apgar scores except for acidosis of the veins in approximately 17% of the Cerebral Palsy children compared to 0 in normal children. This may be due to a lack of equipment at the time to diagnose the acidosis, especially in cerebral acidosis. But, as medical technologies have evolved over time, I am hopeful that scientists and kinetics can further help individuals and families with children who have Cerebral Palsy. Also, C-sections do not protect against Cerebral Palsy and are not advised unless they are normally applicable.

As a person with Cerebral Palsy, I am feeling no different than anyone else that is considered “normal”. I live my life as healthy as I can be and continue with exercise daily to counter the effects of motor abnormalities I feel. Kinetics has played a huge part in the strengthening of the body since I was a young child at 6 months old. To me, the goal when treating cerebral palsy is to minimize the effects of the disability, not eliminate symptoms altogether, as that is currently not a possible option. Most cases can be managed, and individuals can live long healthy quality lives.

Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disorder, is common in babies throughout the United States. 8,000 babies are born with cerebral palsy each year. Many studies, treatments, surgeries, and other medical findings are being done to better the lives of cerebral palsy patients. Although there is not a cure for cerebral palsy, the patient’s quality of life improves as the patient ages.

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that affects a child’s motor skills, muscle tone, and movements. This disorder is caused by damage that is done to the child’s head while in the uterus, during labor and delivery, and shortly after birth. The cerebral cortex is the most affected part of the brain; this part of the brain relates directly to the motor area and muscle movements. Although there is not a current cure for cerebral palsy, there are available treatments and therapies that help children to better themselves for a whole life to come. (Cerebral Palsy Guidance Blog, 2019)

Although Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed when one is a child, the disorder can live throughout a person’s whole life. Children experience symptoms that include lack of muscle coordination, delays in speech, favoring one side of the body, stiff muscles, and spastic reflexes. There are many common symptoms but some vary for each child. As a child grows up, the symptoms can become better with the help of treatments and therapies, however, it will never be fully cured. Occupational, Speech, Massage, and Physical are all types of therapies that can be used to make the symptoms of cerebral palsy better. Physical Therapy is used to build strength, flexibility, and coordination in a child’s muscles. Massage Therapy is used to help patients relax, heal and rehabilitate properly. Speech Therapy works with the child’s voice, language, and speech skills. Occupational Therapy improves independence in personal care, performing household tasks, mobility, and daily activities. Other methods such as surgeries and medications are used as well. Depending on the case of each cerebral palsy patient, the treatment types will vary. (Cerebral Palsy Group, 2019).

Cerebral Palsy affects the motor area of the brain’s outer layer: the cerebral cortex. This condition is not hereditary; cerebral palsy can be obtained while the baby is in the uterus, during birth, or shortly after birth. The cerebral cortex often does not develop right causing this disorder. Other causes of cerebral palsy include brain damage in the first few months or years of life, brain infections (bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis), problems with blood flow to the brain, or a head injury from a motor accident, child abuse, or a fall. In many cases, the cause of cerebral palsy is unknown. Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy tend to live an average of 30 to 70 years. Depending on the severity of the case, the symptoms and expected life expectancy will fluctuate for each person. (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2018).

Advanced research and studies are being conducted to find a cure for cerebral palsy. Government, non-government, community-based, and industry organizations are being funded to work for a cure. Research is also being performed on treatment and therapy options. Until there is a cure for this disorder, scientists want to make the symptoms better for each patient. Some types of experiments are stem cell treatments, repairing damaged brain cells, pain management, bio-medical advancements, assistive technology and surveillance. Neurologist Evan Snyder, from Harvard Medical School, injected mice with stem cell implants. This study proved that missing brain cells can be replaced. The study is still being questioned if stem cell implants can be injected into children’s brains. If scientists are able to make the damaged brain cells repair themselves, cerebral palsy could be cured or reversed. Outside of the United States, the United Nations organization is also conducting research. Many different organizations from around the world are conducting research and experiments to cure the same disorder. (Cerebralpalsy.org, 2019).

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder that is caused by damage to the cerebral cortex of the brain. Although this disorder is not hereditary, it is often diagnosed before the child is born. A cure is not yet available for cerebral palsy; however, research is being done all over the world to discover one. Many different types of therapies, medications, and surgeries are available to children and adults diagnosed with this condition. Each case of cerebral palsy can have a different level of severity of symptoms. To this day, people affected by cerebral palsy can still live a good quality of life.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common disability of childhood that impacts movement and motor skills. This is a neurological condition with brain damage as the underlying cause. The damage may occur while the baby is still in utero, during labor and delivery, or shortly after birth. There are different types of Cerebral Palsy that affect children they are spastic cerebral palsy, dyskinetic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is most common and affects about 80% of all people with CP. It causes abnormally increased muscle tone, known as spasticity. However, there are three types of spastic cerebral palsy. They are Spastic quadriplegia which is the most severe form of spastic CP. It can affect a child’s upper and lower limbs and body, severely restricting mobility. Many children with spastic quadriplegia will also experience chronic seizures, have difficulty with hearing and speech, as well as associated learning disabilities. While Spastic diplegia is another type of spastic cerebral palsy it is not as severe as spastic quadriplegia. It affects only the lower half of the body, and some children are still able to walk. However, because of tight hip and leg muscles, they often struggle to walk, have issues with balance and coordination, and may need assistive devices for mobility. Other symptoms include delayed milestones, fatigue, seizures, “flexed knees,” and a crouched gait. Even though, Spastic hemiplegia is another type of static cerebral palsy it affects only one side of the body, usually the arm more than the leg. The child can often adapt, and most are able to walk. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy is also known as dystonic and athetoid. It is the second most common type of CP. Persons with this type of cerebral palsy will have dystonia (repetitive and twisting motions), athetosis (slow, writhing movements), chorea (unpredictable and irregular movements), poor posture, painful movements, and difficulty swallowing or talking. Ataxic cerebral palsy is the least common type of CP. It causes poor balance and coordination, tremors, and shaky movements that are difficult to control. While mixed cerebral palsy causes a mix of symptoms characteristic of all the other types. Spastic-dyskinetic cerebral palsy is the most common type of mixed cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy is caused by a variety of things one such thing is brain damage. Even though, there are many potential ways damage can occur. In some cases the exact cause of cerebral palsy and brain damage are unknown. Brain damage can occur mostly during childbirth. (Cerebral Palsy, 2019) Another cause of cerebral palsy is preeclampsia. This is a condition in which a pregnant mother has high blood pressure along with high levels of protein in her urine. Research has proven that five to eight percent of pregnancies are affected by this condition and can result in brain damage in the infant. If preeclampsia develops into eclampsia, which is when it progresses to maternal seizures, it can have devastating consequences for the newborn, including brain damage, seizures, and even death. Consequently, infections are also another cause of cerebral palsy. When a mother has an infection during pregnancy, it can affect her unborn child. Infections like herpes, rubella (German Measles), syphilis, cystitis, HIV, and others, especially when not properly treated, increase the risk of brain damage in the baby. Infections can also increase the risk of premature birth, which is also associated with a greater possibility of damage to the brain.

The effects Cerebral Palsy has on children are heart-rending because children with CP cannot control some or all of their movements while some children are hardly affected at all. Some will have difficulty talking, walking, or using their hands yet, some will be unable to sit up without support and will need help to do most everyday tasks. A child with Cerebral Palsy may have some or most of the following features, slightly or more severely: slow, awkward, or jerky movements, muscle spasms, and unwanted movements. The start of one movement often results in other unwanted movements. As stated previously, Cerebral Palsy is not progressive (that means it does not become more severe as the child gets older) but some difficulties do become more noticeable. Certain difficulties and medical conditions occur more often in children with Cerebral Palsy than in most other children. However, no two children experience exactly the same difficulties.

There are certain difficulties children with Cerebral Palsy have these are speech problems, hearing difficulties, and eyesight problems. Speech problems and difficulties with chewing and swallowing often occur together in children with Cerebral Palsy. Speech depends on the ability to be in command of little muscles in the mouth, tongue, palate, and voice box. However, children with athetoid Cerebral Palsy are more likely to have severe hearing difficulties than other children, though this is not the case for children with other forms of Cerebral Palsy. Eyesight problems are also another difficulty children with Cerebral Palsy have. The most common eye problem is a squint, which may need rectification with glasses, or in severe cases, an operation. Some children may have cortical vision defects. This means that the part of the brain that is responsible for understanding the images the child sees is not functioning properly. When examined the eyes may appear healthy, but he or she will not be able to see properly. The difficulty is in unscrambling the messages received from the brain when learning to read for example.

Currently, there is no cure for cerebral palsy, but a variety of treatment options can improve symptoms and quality of life for babies and children. One such treatment is medication because it controls spastic movements, seizures, and relieves pain. Surgery is also an important treatment option for many children with CP. Surgical procedures may be used to improve mobility or manage pain, for instance. Common procedures include tendon or muscle release, repair of hip dislocations, as well as scoliosis surgery. Various types of therapy can also be helpful for people with cerebral palsy. Therapy can improve physical, mental, social, and learning deficits. If started early enough, therapy for cerebral palsy can reduce impairment and lessen the risk of developing other associated conditions. Common types of therapy used to help children with cerebral palsy include: physical, occupational, and aquatic.

Cerebral Palsy is an intellectual disability and neurological disorder with which professionals estimate that approximately 10,000 babies are born every year. Cerebral Palsy affects muscle movement, tone, and necessary motor skills, which overall hinders a person’s ability to move and live in a coordinated and healthy way. Since there is no cure for this disability, there are exclusive remedies to live with it and ways to become more aware and understanding of how this disability affects an individual’s life.

Cerebral Palsy is a lifelong disorder that has no cure. CP affects the body’s movement and muscle coordination, which causes weak balance and posture. There are many different types of CP, such as Spastic, Ataxic, Athetoid, Mixed, Floppy, and Dyskinetic; however, the most common type is Spastic. Each type affects different regions of the brain and impairments to movement and function. Depending on which area of the brain is affected, and overall affects how an individual lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Spastic Cerebral Palsy affects about 80% of the population of people who have CP (Molina, 2015). Three different types of Spastic Cerebral Palsy are spastic diplegia, spastic hemiplegia, and spastic quadriplegia. In spastic diplegia, muscle stiffness mainly occurs in the legs and little in the arms while in spastic hemiplegia, one side of the body is affected with the arms more affected than the legs. Spastic quadriplegia is the most severe form of spastic CP and can affect all four limbs along with the torso and face (Molina, 2015). Mostly all people with this type cannot walk and have developmental disabilities. All different types of Cerebral Palsy vary in specific areas; however, all of them have a significant effect on how an individual lives their everyday lives.

Cerebral Palsy is a result of injury to the brain of a child before they are born, during birth, or anywhere from ages three to five years old. The prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal stages are essential for a child’s growth and development. If something goes wrong during any of these stages, this can be a potential risk factor for a child having CP. Some of the most common risk factors are prematurity, low birth weight, birth asphyxia which is lack of oxygen to the brain, placental abnormalities, maternal infection, hemorrhage, or trauma (Moreno-De-Luca, Andres, Ledbetter, & Martin, 2012). In some cases, socioeconomic factors in different racial and ethnic groups can play a role in determining if a child is born with CP or not while in other cases they may not. According to a case study by the California Department of Health Services, black infants were 29% more likely to have CP than white infants (Olzenak, 2016). The case also showed that Hispanic mothers, especially those aged eighteen or younger, have a higher risk of giving birth to a baby with CP. This could be related to the minority status of these families. How many of these families can be living in poverty with limited money for resources like proper food, vitamins, shelter, or medical attention to watch over the baby before it is born? However, women of any race, ethnicity, or age who do not receive proper prenatal care are twice as likely to give birth to babies with CP than women who receive adequate prenatal care early on in their pregnancy. Many other cases can be the cause of a medical malfunction and something the mother cannot control that happens before, during, or after birth.

There are multiple effects Cerebral Palsy has on an individual, but a considerable impact is the pain in this specific disability can cause. Pain can vary between each person and can occur in different parts of the body, but pain can cause discomfort and restriction from movement, activities, and from enjoying life. This happens in both adults and children, and some can experience pain on certain days while others experience pain every day. In Spastic CP, there is an increase in muscle tone and contractions, which causes deformities, misaligned joints, and problems with movement. Hip pain and hip dislocation are the most commonly found in both children and adults, along with gastrointestinal pain, which can cause constipation and abdominal pain (Penner, Binepal, Switzer, 2012).

Medications and physical therapy are ways to reduce pain and improve the quality of life, although medications do not always work, and physical therapy can cause even more pain. People with this disability might not be able to move or want to move because of the pain they are experiencing, and many cannot sleep properly because of the discomfort. Pain can also impact a person’s behavior and cause them to be more aggressive, which can mainly occur with children in school. Different types and amounts of pain can negatively affect a person both physically and mentally.

While an individual can experience adverse physical effects like different kinds of pain, these individuals can also have intellectual, hearing, and visual deficits, which can impact children in education and life at school and in the workplace for adults. A significant issue that individuals with Spastic CP have to live with is the loss of basic motor movements in both upper and lower limbs. Some individuals struggle with grasping and releasing items caused by excessive stiffness or weakness in their muscles, which reduces their range of motion to move many parts of their body (Colver, Fairhurst, Pharaoh, 2014). Some children cannot hold a pencil, others cannot chew their food correctly, and some struggle to breathe in and out. Braces and wheelchairs may be accommodations to help keep muscles controlled and lessen the pain experienced from stiffness and contractions.

Conductive education is something that began in 1987 to accommodate and provide services for children and adults in educational settings. The classroom is run by a “conductor” who is a trained teacher who can help and work with children appropriately. Conductive education can provide many educational needs like teaching a child how to chew correctly, eat with utensils, how to get dressed and undressed, how to pronounce certain words and sounds, and how to stretch limbs to control properly, balance, hand-eye coordination, and grasping skills (Schenker, Parush, & Rosenbaum, 2016). Tasks, such as eating with a spoon or putting on clothes, may be difficult for those with CP. In this case, assistance is almost always needed.

Talking, hearing, and vision impairments are very common and have a significant effect on education for a child. According to Dana Olzenak from Science Direct, about 40-75% of children with CP have some type of visual impairment (2016). Glasses are essential for these children to have in the classroom to improve learning by observation as well as to enjoy life around them outside of school. Children can also struggle with speech due to a disorder called dysarthria that hinders a person’s ability to use control of their tongue, throat, and lungs (Olzenak, 2016). This can cause a person’s speech to be slurred or slow and can create their facial expressions to be distorted. A speech therapist is a resource that many children use to help correct their speech and to gain better control of the muscles in these body parts.

Learning may also be impacted by children who have learning disabilities, mental retardation, and seizures. Children with Cerebral Palsy can have Individualized Education Programs, which are legal documents that create an educational plan for students with learning disabilities, attention issues, or any other disability (Klang, 2016). It can focus on the student’s strengths and weaknesses and help a child pursue their goals. It’s important with these IEPs that students are learning and developing in the least restrictive environment surrounded by others who do not have to learn CP or other learning disabilities. These IEPs challenge a student and provide any accommodations they might need, such as a shorter assignment, different grading criteria, preferred seating, extended deadlines, and a person to transcribe notes. All these accommodations can help a child to feel more successful in the classroom and help boost their confidence.

The social opportunities of an individual with Cerebral Palsy are also greatly affected throughout their life. Social participation with people in society, especially with young children growing up, is an essential part of helping them develop positive psychosocial well-being and meaningful relationships (Kang, Palisano, Orlin, Chiarello, & King, 2010). According to Allan Colver and the Cerebral Palsy Guidance, studies have shown that people with CP who experience intense pain are more likely to struggle with anxiety, depression, and fear (2014). As a result of the difficulty in mobility and communication, can cause limitations in social activities like participating in sports or going to social events, which can create a feeling of isolation and cause a child to develop depression. Places may not have accommodations for people with disabilities like CP, which can make it more difficult for them to travel and be present around others. Children with CP need to be in classrooms with other students who don’t have CP so that both grow up in an environment where they understand their differences and are more accepting of each other.

High school and college sports do not have players with disabilities; however, in my hometown, there is a program I volunteer at called Challenger that made special accommodations for children with CP and other disabilities. These children I volunteer with never got the opportunity to participate in baseball games with other children without disabilities and may have felt they didn’t fit in. I partner with them and aid them in hitting the ball, fielding the ball, and running the bases. On the sidelines, their family and friends can watch and cheer them on, and it is a rewarding feeling to be able to help them play baseball. In this game and environment, they are accepted and have the company of others around them who are going through the same situation and understand them on a personal level.

Cerebral Palsy has no cure and is a lifelong disability; however, there are treatments and ways to lessen pain and live a more successful life, such as something called stem cell therapy. This type of treatment works to replace damaged cells in the brain that are no longer functioning and also to provide support for cells that may be struggling. According to Anahita Kiasatdolatabadi, this therapy can have a significant impact on influencing the loss of motor control, speech control, abnormal muscle tone, and cognitive problems and help them gain control back (2017). According to the Cerebral Palsy Guide, there is no set life expectancy because it varies for each person depending on the severity of the disorder and the medical issues that come along with it (Colver, Fairhurst, & Pharoah, 2014). Most people can live until they are seventy years old. There has been a lot of research and clinical trials done in the past, and doctors continue researching the present therapy day to find ways to improve it and make life easier for people with CP.

Cerebral Palsy consists of many different types and looks different for everyone who has it. It can do a lot of damage to a person physically and mentally and completely diminish the quality of their lives. It affects way too many people in society today, and luckily, doctors and scientists have found ways to help improve a person’s quality of life while living with this disability. Every child growing up, and every adult deserves to enjoy their lives and know that they have help from people and resources around them.

Researching Cerebral Palsy and looking at the name it explains itself, Cerebral meaning “of the brain” (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2011) and Palsy meaning “lack of muscle control” (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2011). Cerebral Palsy, also known as CP for short, is a neurological condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2011). Getting Cerebral Palsy can happen from many issues like premature birth, a child not receiving enough nutrients before birth, getting infections or having a serious brain injury. CP can affect any child from pregnancy or birth (Healthwise, 2018). The topics that will be discussed within this essay will be; how Cerebral Palsy impacts child development, signs and symptoms, detection, and lastly the interventions and support that children with Cerebral Palsy can receive.

Cerebral Palsy can result in major impacts on a child’s life because it is known that all children who are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy all have issues with their body movement. it’s also known as “the most common physical disability in children” (CanChild,2019) where “1 out of 400 people in Canada” (CanChild,2019) are impacted by CP. The impact on their body movements leads Cerebral Palsy to affect their everyday lifestyle with children not being able to do daily activities that a person would normally see children doing with examples being running, monkey bars, biking or even swimming. However, their physical issues are different from each other, some children with Cerebral Palsy have harder issues than others (Healthwise, 2018). People diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy have issues with their body movement and posture, it does not worsen over time but it can be seen less or more over the time a child grows. Children with CP can have their whole body or one side of the body impacted. The symptoms will vary by person, the most come ones are intellectual disabilities that can lead to learning disabilities. Seizures can result in uncontrollable spastic movement and loss of body functions. Challenges with oral health that can result in gaging, difficulty with eating, and oral diseases. Difficulty seeing and hearing which can create challenges when interacting with others. The lack of control on their ability to urinate is known as urinary incontinence. People with CP also often struggle with their Mental health due to the impacts of the physical disabilities and daily challenges they face. (Mayoclinic, 2019).

When testing to see if a child is living with Cerebral Palsy the doctor will first perform a physical examination and ask about the child’s medical history once the doctor can see some signs of CP they later go to resources that can help confirm the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy like “CAT scans (Computerized Axial Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can identify lesions in the brain it can be diagnosed very early” (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2011). If a child has a severe form of CP it can be diagnosed as early as within a child’s first few months of life, however most of the time CP is not diagnosed for months or even years (Healthwise, 2018). Therapy can really help a child living with Cerebral Palsy with being able to cope with the effects on daily life activities, for example, the therapies that help with home life or school life such as physical therapy help children to learn how to reach their full capability for physical independence with moving large muscles examples of physical therapy is exercises like going for walks. (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy,2019). Another therapy is Occupational Therapy helps children improve fine motor skills and provides some help with feeding and bathroom aids (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2019). The last therapy that is very beneficial for children living with CP is speech and language therapy its goal is to improve communication skills, it can also help with “feeding, drooling, non-oral feeding, or other oral-motor functions”. (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2019).

There are four main types of Cerebral Palsy a child can be diagnosed with, the first and most common form is Spasticity which affects the person’s muscles causing them to be stiff from increased muscle tone. This form of CP causes them to have difficulty with movements and “affects about 80% of people with CP” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). Spastic Cerebral Palsy is divided into three types, Diplegia/diparesis which affects the legs causing people to be very stiff in their legs leading to the person with this form of CP having a lot of difficulties walking from their lower body muscles being very tight causing their legs to pull together. Another one is Hemiplegia/hemiparesis which affects one side of the body, typically the person’s arm is more affected than the leg (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The third and most severe form of Spastic is Quadriplegia/quadriparesis, this form affects all arms and legs, torso and face. Due to the severity of the physical disability, the majority of people who have this form also are not able to walk, and have issues with their vision, speech, hearing and other developmental disabilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2019).

The second type is Dyskinesia Cerebral Palsy is when someone has uncontrollable movements with their hands, feet, arms, legs or even face movements. Their muscles go from very tight to very loose which can affect someone with having a hard time with sitting or walking (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2019). The third type is Ataxic Cerebral Palsy which causes issues with balance and coordination making them unsteady while they try to walk. They also may have trouble with fast movements that need a lot of control over the body an example is writing because a person has to make small controlled movements (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2019). The last diagnosis for Cerebral Palsy is when someone is diagnosed with having more than just one type of CP this is called mixed Cerebral Palsy “the most common type of mixed CP is Spastic-dyskinetic CP” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2019).

Parents of a child with Cerebral Palsy are going to have difficulties, being a new parent is hard, and adding on a disability adds additional complexities to parenting. However, there are many places that can help provide support specifically geared towards parents, parent support group called Hand Over Hand it’s located in the York region and the meetings are monthly or weekly between 2-4 pm. They focus on moral and emotional support, and they discuss and share resources with other parents on many topics (Connect Ability, 2018). They also have activities for parents to have a break and get out of their everyday routine. Hand over hand give “free child care services for Social Group members while parent support group meetings take place” (Connect Ability, 2018). Another advocacy support is Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy located at 1630 Lawrence Ave W, Suite 104 in Toronto which provides a children and family support program which offers information that will help in caring for their child. They also have the Life Enriching Activity Funding program also known as LEAF it gives opportunities to children with CP to get involved in activities like “horseback riding, summer camp, swimming, art lessons, computer classes, or a community-based day program” (Toronto Central Healthline, 2019). Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy can also help you find more resources with the Assistive Devices Funding program which helps with the purchase of equipment like wheelchairs bathing and bathroom aids. They can also give some financial help with the OFCP Household Pick-up Service with providing used clothing and household goods donation bins (Toronto Central Healthline,2019).

Looking into my previous emotional response about my feelings towards Cerebral Palsy was minimal, my knowledge on CP was limited to knowing it is a disability that affects an individual’s muscles. Receiving this topic increased my knowledge and interest, the research allowed me to learn more about the topic, which improve my understanding of the topic. During my research I discovered I had some misunderstandings about Cerebral Palsy, such as CP is not life-threatening, and it doesn’t get worse with aging over time, it usually just tends to stay the same throughout the person’s life (The Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, 2011). Another misconception I had prior to my research was CP could be cured. This is not the case, someone living with Cerebral Palsy can receive assistance to improve the effects of CP with certain therapies, like speech or physical therapy but these will only help someone manage their CP, it will not go away. The last misunderstanding I had was I thought CP was hereditary, CP is a disorder caused by a brain injury from birth, not transferred genetically from parent to child. Becoming more informed about Cerebral Palsy has changed my feelings, prior to being a Child Youth Councillor, I did not realize I would be required to have a greater understanding of disabilities like CP. As CP is a common disability in children it is likely with me being in the child youth program that I will be required to handle cases where children have Cerebral Palsy and other common disabilities. As it is my goal to work in the field and work with kids, it is important to understand and have some insight into these disabilities, this knowledge will allow me to support them in the best way possible.

Annotated Bibliography

This article discusses the issues of children with cerebral palsy and the feeding difficulties that come along with it. The study was done in Bangladesh, which is a resource-poor country, and it is a challenge to have all the proper medical equipment for children with cerebral palsy. The purpose of the study was to assess how functional a low-technology, cost-efficient approach to feeding practices for children with moderate-severe cerebral palsy and feeding difficulties can improve. Additionally, the goal was to encourage child health by amplifying their nutritional intake, reducing any risk of infection, and decreasing stress during mealtimes. The participants were recruited from a non-governmental organization (NGO) network of healthcare programs, which consisted of 37 caregivers and 37 children aged 1-11 years old. Improvements in feeding were almost significant, the stress of the caregivers decreased, as well as the length of mealtime decreased. The limitations include a small sample size due to logistical restrictions, and 13 children dropping out of the study due to moving or financial obligations. Overall, the study showed positive results in a reduction of aspiration, advanced nutritional levels in 13 children, and increased child and caregiver mood.

In this article, the purpose of the study was to assess the clinical presence and severity of dysphagia in a sample of children. The participants included 166 children, 85 males and 81 females who were between 2 and 19 years old. They were recruited from specialized daycare centers in the Western region of the Netherlands. The Dysphagia Disorders Survey (DDS) was a tool used to evaluate signs of difficulty in all phases of swallowing. About 99% of the study participants were affected by dysphagia, and about 91% had signs of the pharyngeal phase and were fed by tube. A limitation is a team approach is not the best approach for screening purposes due to the logistical and time restrictions and growth after one year of intraoral appliance therapy in moderately dysphagic children with cerebral palsy.

In this article, researchers were testing to see if intraoral appliance therapy would be beneficial to children with cerebral palsy. The participants include 20 children, 11 girls and 9 boys all ranging between 4.2 to 13.1 years old. All children were diagnosed with cerebral palsy with tetraparesis and moderate motor impairment. The study was tested in a school environment, a school nursing office, and a dental clinic. They aimed to measure changes in feeding skills one year after the use of the Innsbruck Sensorimotor Activator and Regulator (ISMAR). By using the ISMAR, it’s purpose is to improve tissue connection between lips, tongue, soft palate, cheeks, and pharynx. The results show that oral motor skills improved during the stabilization phase. Additionally, there were improvements shown for spoon-feeding, biting, chewing, cup drinking, straw drinking, and swallowing. They found that in order to be successful the child must be able to breathe through the nose, and caretakers have to be willing to participate in therapy for over a year. A limitation is that ISMAR is a complex device, and may not be suggested for children with cognitive impairments.

This article focuses on the benefits of telehealth to patients that don’t have access to dysphagia experts. The researchers hypothesized that asynchronous swallowing evaluations performed over a computer screen would work just as well as face-to-face interaction. The participants included 19 children, 12 males and 7 females who ranged from 6.9 to 17.5 years old. The children were recruited from a convenience sample, from a summer camp of the Cerebral Palsy Research Center of Teachers College, Columbia University. In order to qualify for the study, the child had to be between 5 to 18 years old, have a confirmed diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and be able to eat by mouth. The purpose of the study was to see how dependable telehealth practices can be. The limitations of the study include the clinician’s different levels of experience, the evaluator having difficulty identifying the specific foods that the child was eating, and the clinical not being able to request changes in the evaluation process. The findings indicate significant results when comparing face-to-face therapy, and remote therapy. This type of therapy can be extremely promising for patients who do not have easy access to clinicians in their area.

The researchers of this study were testing to see the characteristics of dysphagia in children with cerebral palsy, as well as, the clinical benefits of the Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS) for an accurate evaluation of dysphagia. The participants were recruited from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Korea and consisted of twenty-nine children, 18 males and 11 females. Evaluation of swallowing in the oral preparatory phase, oral phase, and pharyngeal phase were done. The results showed that almost all the children in the moderate and severe groups had malformations in oral preparatory, oral, and pharyngeal phases, indicating that dysphagia is related to gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy. The limitations include a small number of participants, and the effect of age not being considered.

This article concentrates on assessing swallowing performance in children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy (SCP) compared to a typically developing child, measuring airway protective behaviors, and identifying the connection between clinical swallowing in children with SCP and other measures. The participants were recruited from the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation of New York City and includes two different groups, the SCP children, and the typically developing control group (TDC group). In the SCP group, children were between 4-11 years old and had a primary diagnosis of SCP. In the TDC group, children were between 4-11 years old as well and had to be typically developed with language comprehension skills. The purpose of the study is to measure feeding, swallowing, and cough impairments in children with Spaspic Cerebral Palsy as compared to typically developing children. The results show that there are differences on clinical feeding and swallow performance, suprahyoid muscle activity, swallow coordination and voluntary cough success. The limitations include small sample size, power, and atypical administration of data.

The researchers of this study are testing to see the dependability of recent results of mealtime length, and the relationship to clinical swallowing performance in children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy (SCP). The participants were recruited from summer camps for cerebral palsy at Teachers College, Columbia University. There were 17 children in total, 8 being female and 9 being male. The Dysphagia Disorder Survey (DDS), was used to evaluate the child’s feeding and swallowing execution. The results indicate excellent intra- and inter-rater agreement for a total meal time duration, total solid duration, and total liquid duration showing that the measures are extremely dependable within raters. The limitations include a small sample size, and the subjects were mainstreamed in school and had no intellectual disabilities. Overall, it was interesting to read this article because I have volunteered at Cerebral Palsy League for a long time, and one of the major problems in the school is how prolonged their mealtime are. Obviously, it is extremely difficult to get all the kids to feed, since each child needs one-on-one help. Reading this article shows that by taking the correct steps, it is possible to shorten the length of mealtime.

In this article, researchers were using data collected from 13,971 births from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The birth cohort included delivery between April 1, 1991, and December 21, 1992. From the cohort, children between the age of 4 to 5 years old who were diagnosed with cerebral palsy, were checked using child health records, ALSPAC questionnaires, local hospital systems, or a formal inquiry to pediatricians. This took place in England, and 51 children were a part of the study. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire documenting their child’s feeding behaviors, as well as rate on a scale of 1 to 5 if their child showed specific feeding behaviors. The results show that feeding challenges in the first 4 weeks of life was related to severe neurodevelopmental impairments. Exhaustion at 4 weeks old and additional feeding difficulties has a correlation with impairments in school-age children with cerebral palsy. An implication of this finding is that they did not use enough gastrostomies for feeding. The limitation of this study is limited by the timing of the questions in the ALSPAC study. Generally, it was unsettling to read about the correlation between infants with cerebral palsy and their difficulty throughout their life. However, it is reassuring to read about the different research out their trying to treat all the complications.

This article concentrates on the prevalence of feeding difficulties for children with cerebral palsy. Participants were recruited from district health authorities in London, where they recruited 49 individuals, 27 boys and 22 girls ranging between 12 months to 72 months. The purpose of the study was to document feeding histories, observe current feeding methods in the home, and use a standardized tool to evaluate oral motor function. The different types of feeding difficulties during the first 12 months included sucking (breast, bottle, or both), swallowing, spooned purees, puree containing lumps, semisolids requiring munching, solids requiring chewing, and solids requiring biting. The current problems children are having during mealtimes include struggling in drinking liquids, problems with spooned purees, issues with semisolids, difficulty with solids, choking episodes, regurgitation, and vomiting. Over 36% were shown to have severe oral motor dysfunction. Those who scored moderate to severe, often have difficulties with textures and were related with tetraplegia and hypotonia. Unfortunately, they were unable to test the frequency of pharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia. The implications depend on the sample and vary on the prevalence rates of different types of cerebral palsy. Limitations include not being able to assess the frequency of pharyngeal or esophageal dysphagia.

In this study, the researchers were trying to recognize the effect of oral motor therapy on cerebral palsy patients with feeding problems. The participants include 81 children that range between 12-42 months old. Patients were recruited if they have been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, had oral motor dysfunction, and were watched over at the Pediatric Neurology clinic at Istanbul University. There were two groups in which patients were divided up into the control group and the training group. The purpose was to strengthen oral motor functions, increase daily life activities, and decrease drooling and feeding issues. The study did not include any limitations or implications. Additionally, improvement was shown in all areas which were spoon feeding, biting, chewing, drinking, and swallowing. The results indicate that the training group decreased in drooling compared to the control group. Overall, oral motor therapy will benefit children with cerebral palsy in many different aspects including, eating, drinking, and daily activities. It was reassuring to read this article because when I volunteered at Children’s Specialized Hospital, they would use Z-vibe as oral motor therapy, and it seemed to help the child’s muscles wake up and increase oral awareness.

References

1. Adams, M., Khan, N., Begum, S., Wirz, S., Hesketh, T., & Pring, T. (2012). Feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy: Low-cost caregiver training in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Child: Care, Health and Development, 38(6), 878-888. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01327.x
2. Calis, E., Veugelers, R., Sheppard, J., Tibboel, D., Evenhuis, H., & Penning, C. (2008). Dysphagia in children with severe generalized cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 50(8), 625-30. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2008.03047.x
3. Haberfellner, H., MD, Schwartz, S., DDS, MSD, & Gisel, E., PhD, OTR. (2001). Feeding skills and growth after one year of intraoral appliance therapy in moderately dysphagic children with cerebral palsy. Dysphagia: An International Multidisciplinary Journal Devoted to Swallowing and Its Disorders, 16(2), 83-96. doi:10.1007/PL00021293
4. Kantarcigil, C., Sheppard, J., Gordon, A., Friel, K., & Malandraki, G. (2016). A telehealth approach to conducting clinical swallowing evaluations in children with cerebral palsy. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 55, 207-217. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.04.008
5. Kim, J., Han, Z., Song, D., Oh, H., & Chung, M. (2013). Characteristics of dysphagia in children with cerebral palsy, related to gross motor function. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 92(10), 912-9. doi:10.1097/PHM.0b013e318296dd99
6. Mishra, A., Malandraki, G., Sheppard, J., Gordon, A., Levy, E., & Troche, M. (2019). Voluntary cough and clinical swallow function in children with spastic cerebral palsy and healthy controls. Dysphagia: Dedicated to Advancing the Art and Science of Dermatology, 34(2), 145-154. doi:10.1007/s00455-018-9933-4
7. Mishra, A., Sheppard, J., Kantarcigil, C., Gordon, A., & Malandraki, G. (2018). Novel mealtime duration measures: Reliability and preliminary associations with clinical feeding and swallowing performance in self-feeding children with cerebral palsy. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(1), 99-107. doi:10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0224
8. Motion, S., Northstone, K., Emond, A., Stucke, S., & Golding, J. (2002). Early feeding problems in children with cerebral palsy: Weight and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 44(1), 40-3.
9. Reilly, S., Skuse, D., & Poblete, X. (1996). Prevalence of feeding problems and oral motor dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: A community survey. The Journal of Pediatrics, 129(6), 877-82.
10. Sığan, S., Uzunhan, T., Aydınlı, N., Eraslan, E., Ekici, B., & Calışkan, M. (2013). Effects of oral motor therapy in children with cerebral palsy. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 16(3), 342-6. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.1169

Cerebral palsy is a condition often found in children that impairs their physical ability. The physical effects of Cerebral palsy mildly hinder a child’s ability to move easily (cite). Some of the cognitive effects for children with Cerebral palsy include apprehension delayed learning and hindered verbal communication (cite 2). Children with Cerebral palsy use more energy just to walk and as a result, they naturally decrease their physical activities (cite). Maltais et al. (2016) identified how past research has found that children with Cerebral Palsy have a difficult time in school compared to children without disabilities. Maltais et al. (2016) also recognize how past research identifies children without disabilities do better in school when they participate in physical activities. Due to these two factors, Maltais et al. (2016) wanted to find if there was some correlation between exercise and learning abilities for children who have been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. The research was directed with the purpose of gaining knowledge about and answering the proposed research question: Does intense exercise affect the learning abilities of children with cerebral palsy in three different areas: apprehension, accuracy, and rate of processing (cite)?

Maltais et al. (2016) conducted their study using 16 children who had the ability to walk on their own without any means of assistance. There were two groups of eight for the purpose of their research. One group consisted of three girls and five boys; all of whom were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The other group consisted of four boys and four girl; all of whom were considered to have normal development (cite). All of the children who participated in this study were 6-15 years old and were given consent to participate through parental approval. Maltais et al. (2016) found the participants with normal development through different types of advertising. The participants with Cerebral Palsy were found through private clinics. There were three different criteria for involvement in the study. One was that the children had to be competent in either French or English(cite). The second was that the children with Cerebral palsy had to be diagnosed with a specific type called spastic which means that they suffer from inflexible and twitchy muscles(cite). The children also needed to have the capability of running and walking without any type of assistance (cite). For the normal development group, children had to be clear of any type of learning disorders as well as any disablements in the heart, muscles, or skeletal regions (cite). If children contained any of the characteristics listed they were rejected from the study.

In this study, the researchers used a prospective experimental study design. The independent variable for this experiment is exercise and the dependent variables are the changes in apprehension, accuracy, and rate of processing (cite). In sum, will exercise cause apprehension, accuracy, and rate of processing to change in either or both the Cerebral palsy group and the group with normal development? In the exercise portion of the study, participants were evaluated using back-and-forth running tests (cite). Participants were required to either walk or run from one line to the next and back on a standard track. The children in the Cerebral Palsy group would be evaluated on a 10-meter trial whereas the children in the normal development group would be evaluated on a 20-meter trial (cite). The beginning rate for the Cerebral palsy group was 5.0 and for the normal development group 8.5 kilometers per hour. The rate intensified by 0.25 every minute for the Cerebral palsy group and 0.5 kilometers every minute for the normal development group (cite). The experiment came to a halt when the children were unable to maintain momentum. The data collected for these tests were based on the number of finished shuttles and the highest speed acquired (cite). During these exercises researchers consistently tracked participants’ heart rates using exercise bands.

Thirty minutes after exercise children in both groups were assessed in a ninety-minute period using a youth model picture test to measure learning ability after exercise (cite). During the test children were given a picture of an animal where the head and the body did not match( cite). Children were then asked to verbally state the name of the animal body out loud as fast as they could within a three-second time limit (cite). (figure 1) Answers were considered inconsistent if the child answered with the name of the animal head instead of the body if children used filler words before answering or corrected themselves (cite). Tests were repeated during three phases with twelve total assessments. Data was collected and analyzed through corresponding software. Maltais et al. (2016) assessed three different characteristics of learning abilities: retort time (speed), correct answers (accuracy), and intervening outcome (apprehension) (cite). For both groups, the results were evaluated using a dependent representative t-test (cite). The degree of relevance was placed at p < .05 with an outcome range of 0.2 (small), 0.5 (medium) and 0.8 (large) (cite).

Results were categorized by retort time (speed), correct answers (accuracy), and intervening outcome (apprehension) (cite). For retort time the Cerebral Palsy group showed great improvements with physical activity (cite). The normal developmental group also showed improvements however the outcome rate was trivial. (F3)(F2) For accuracy, the results showed an insubstantial difference before and after physical activity for children in both groups. For the intervening outcome (f4) vigorous physical activity in the Cerebral palsy group had displayed a considerable, moderate, and disadvantageous outcome while for children in the normal developmental group there was no substantial influence (cite).

Maltais et al. (2016) were able to identify the findings to their proposed research question: Does intense exercise affect the learning abilities of children with cerebral palsy in three different areas: apprehension, accuracy, and rate of processing (cite)? Maltais et al. (2016) sought out to discover new knowledge about the effects of physical activity on children with cerebral palsy. What they found was that average physical activity is beneficial while strenuous physical activity is not.

There was a couple of different limitation that were identified in the study. One was that the number of participants was extremely low. Another limitation was that researchers only included children with one type of cerebral palsy so this does not give a full scope of how exercise impacts all children with cerebral palsy. A major limitation that I was able to spot was that the study does not stae the duration of the study. It would have been helpful to know how long the participants were observed and how many times they repeated the testing if any. One strength that I was able to identify from the study was that all analysis of learning ability was done through computer software. This elevates the chances of error that could occur with human administration.

Introduction

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder, i.e. it is an ailment that is linked to the brain. It primarily stems from the immature development of the brain and is most often a congenital disability. It is most commonly diagnosed in small children or infants. It affects motor functions such as muscle movement, posture, and overall hand-eye coordination. Also, cerebral palsy is characterized by involuntary muscle movement including random and sudden jerks or gestures as well as stiffness of muscles. This prevents the body from moving in a coordinated manner as it has a significant impact on one’s gait and posture as well. In other cases, cerebral palsy can also be linked to hindrance in common bodily functions such as talking, breathing, regular digestive movement, etc. Depending on their case, some individuals may also experience blurry vision or blindness due to unbalanced eye muscles, epileptic episodes, or deafness. Apart from that, some cases of cerebral palsy are characterized by learning and/or intellectual disabilities while others are not affected as such.

Cerebral Palsy Symptoms

There are several noticeable cerebral palsy symptoms that one can look out for, some of which are listed below. Depending on cerebral palsy, these symptoms may vary from individual to individual. The following section lists the different types of cerebral palsy followed by the symptoms.

1. Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy is a type of cerebral palsy that affects one entire side of the body. According to the Birth Injury Guide, Hemiplegia is a more aggressive form of the disorder because it can even result in total paralysis in extreme cases. (x) Individuals suffering from hemiplegic cerebral palsy constitute about one-third of the total population of people having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. There are several symptoms for Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy and depending on the extremity of the case; some may display quite a few while others may not. These include muscle stiffness, unbalanced gait, and typically using only one hand for all tasks indicating that only one side of the body is functioning properly.

2. Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Diplegic Cerebral Palsy also sometimes referred to as spastic diplegia is another form of CP. It is mostly characterized by tense muscles and frequent spastic episodes, i.e. spasms. Initially, the muscle tension and stiffness is confined to the legs, but over time, one might experience increased difficulty in walking or moving joints as the consistent tension takes its toll. It is, however, much less aggressive than Hemiplegic CP and has little to no impact on a child’s intellectual abilities. Some common symptoms include immobility during infancy, floppy leg muscles, and very little stamina resulting in the child getting tired out after a few minutes of activity.

3. Spastic Cerebral Palsy

According to the research foundation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Spastic Cerebral Palsy is the most common form of Cerebral Palsy found in children. (x) Much like Diplegic CP, people with Spastic CP may suffer from stiff muscles and involuntary jerking movements that indicate spasms. Spastic CP is often characterized as a condition of hypertonia that leads to the bundling of neurons and causes neurological messages to be sent to the wrong limbs resulting in sudden muscle movement and increased stiffness.

4. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy, also commonly known as Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy is a variant of CP that it causes children to shift between hypertonia and hypotonia, i.e. random fluctuations between episodes of unusually high and low muscle tone. This means that either muscle experience extreme stiffness or becomes completely floppy or sluggish at other times. According to the Cerebral Palsy Guide, it is synonymous with various other types of cerebral palsy as well, owing to symptoms such as difficulty in using limbs, i.e. arms, hands, and legs and having trouble dealing with and grasping objects. (x)There are several subtypes of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy including:

• Dystonia
• Chorea
• Athetosis
• Rigidity
• Dyskinesia

All of the aforementioned have different symptoms that include a mixture of hypertonic and hypotonic muscle tones. Additional symptoms may include imbalanced movement and loss of hand-eye coordination, slow rotational movement of the back, torso, arms or legs and spasms in various parts of the body including fingers and even in facial muscles.

5. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy is the least common variant of Cerebral Palsy found in patients. Like several other forms of Cerebral Palsy, Ataxia is also characterized by unsteady or shaky muscle movements. Also, it may lead to unbalanced limb functions and hinder one’s depth perception as well. This further causes instability in movement as well as posture. Ataxia also has an impact on common day-to-day tasks such as eating and swallowing food. Furthermore, using cutlery such as spoons and forks, and writing is affected due to the tremulous movement of the fingers. This may cause the patient to fall quite often as there is a lack of coordination between the brain and the muscles. In most cases of Ataxic Cerebral Palsy, the patient can suffer because the brain tends to ‘over-correct’ muscle movement to compensate for the lack of coordination which may cause even more problems.

6. Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy

As aforementioned, hypotonic cerebral palsy is characterized by a sluggish or floppy muscle structure, that stems from an unusually low muscle tone. Common symptoms include awkward or involuntary muscle jerking and head movements, muscle spasms, imbalanced movement, and spontaneous contraction of the muscles. Hypotonic DP can also cause respiratory trouble, difficulty keeping up a straight posture and/or having trouble standing up and walking without assistance. Moreover, it has been observed that several symptoms of Hypotonic CP are also synonymous with symptoms of autism.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

There are several common causes of cerebral palsy. To give a brief overview, CP usually stems from infections and/or some other medical ailments suffered by the mother during pregnancy, infantile strokes during or after birth, or other genetic disorders. CP is more commonly diagnosed in premature babies, or multiple birth cases, i.e. twins, triplets or quadruplets. In other cases, a child may develop cerebral palsy if something goes wrong or there are some complications during their actual birth. The section explains in detail the various causes of cerebral palsy, ranging from but not limited to genetic as well as non-genetic factors.

1. Maternal Factors

There are various diseases and infections that, if contracted during pregnancy, tend to increase the risk of cerebral palsy in a child significantly. This is mainly because any problems in maternal health directly affect fetal growth as well. The most common of these include viruses such as Rubella (also known as German measles), Varicella (chicken pox), and Cytomegalovirus, i.e. a flu-like virus that is bound to cause some damage during the early onset of pregnancy. Other infections include sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes and syphilis. Herpes can be transmitted from the mother to the child during pregnancy through the womb and placenta. Herpes causes inflammation of these glands and hampers the baby’s oxygen and food supply leading to hindered growth the central nervous system. Moreover, these include toxoplasmosis, the Zika virus and thyroid problems. Toxoplasmosis and Zika virus are particularly troublesome because they are on the rarer front of infections and can be tricky to diagnose. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite that thrives on the ingestion of contaminated food, soil and even the feces of house cats that have been affected with cerebral palsy. On the other hand, the Zika virus causes the development of microcephaly which can further lead to the onset of cerebral palsy. Exposure can also prove very harmful during pregnancy, as coming in contact with toxins such as methyl mercury can also cause cerebral palsy among other congenital disabilities.

2. Diseases in Infancy

Some forms of cerebral can also be caused by weak immunity and infections suffered in infancy. This includes severe forms on jaundice that are not entirely untreated. Jaundice is commonly characterized by the yellowing of the skin and eyes. It is caused when dead blood cells and their waste products are not removed from the bloodstream naturally. Secondly, there is bacterial meningitis which is the inflammation of the membranes that envelop the central nervous system as well as the spinal cord. Moreover, another condition that may cause CP is viral encephalitis. Similar to bacterial meningitis, it too causes inflammation of the vessels and membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain. This leads to stunted growth in infants and eventually to the onset of cerebral palsy.

3. Complications During Birth

Complications during birth are some of the leading causes of cerebral palsy. These include cases of breech births, premature births and multiple births as aforementioned. In the case of premature births, there is a high risk that the brain has not yet developed fully while in multiple births, there are chances that not every baby has received proper nourishment during the pregnancy which can lead to brain damage. Also, it can be attributed to low birth weight and incompatibility of the Rh blood group between the mother and the baby. A mismatch Rh blood group means that the mother’s body recognizes the baby and its blood cells as a foreign object and begins producing antibodies that attack the baby’s blood cells in the womb. This can cause severe repercussions including stunted growth of the central nervous system and brain damage. Most of these conditions cause the baby to go into respiratory or vascular distress, i.e. the baby does not get enough oxygen during the time of birth, or there is a hindrance to the blood flow to the brain which causes brain damage.

4. Non-natural factors

Some non-natural factors can cause cerebral palsy as well. These include child abuse wherein a child might develop CP as a coping mechanism for physical and/or mental trauma. Other cases include car accidents with blunt force trauma to the head, and even shaking a child too much during its infancy. As several structures of the body, especially the head and the brain are still under development in the early years of childhood, any aggressive handling of a baby can lead to defects in brain damage.

Cerebral Palsy Remedies and Supplements

It is imperative that you remember that cerebral palsy is relatively treatable, and one can get better over time with the use of remedies and supplements. At Bulk Supplements, you can find organic and non-invasive supplements that combat cerebral palsy using naturally found ingredients and products. (x) These include Ginger, i.e. their Ginger Root Extract Powder which is available in a wide range of package sizes, ranging from 100g, 250g, 500g up to 5kg and 25kg depending on the size of your required dosage. Another popular supplement is their Fish Oil Softgels as well as the Asparagus Extract Powder which promotes healthy bones and has anti-inflammatory qualities that are perfect for combating cerebral palsy. All these supplements range from $9-12 per package; however, prices may vary according to the dosage. Also, there are cerebral palsy treatments that include physical therapy and speech therapy. All these are extremely helpful in keeping muscles in check and practicing the regular movement of a muscle to normalize bodily functions.

Conclusions

Conclusively, we need to keep in mind that most forms of cerebral palsy can be prevented owing to their symptoms, i.e. many maternal health risks are preventable through vaccines, and other non-natural factors can also be taken care of. It the important to remember that one should never lose hope and keep striving for cerebral palsy awareness and treatment for the betterment of both themselves and any loved ones that might be affected by CP in order to give them the possible chance at a healthy and happy lifestyle.