Cerebral Palsy

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Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of disorders affecting body movement, balance, and posture. Loosely translated, cerebral palsy means “brain paralysis.” Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal development or damage in one or more parts of the brain that control muscle tone and motor activity (movement). The resulting impairments first appear early in life, usually in infancy or early childhood. Infants with cerebral palsy are usually slow to reach developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, and walking. Common to all individuals with cerebral palsy is difficulty controlling and coordinating muscles. This makes even very simple movements difficult. • Cerebral palsy may involve muscle stiffness (spasticity), poor muscle tone, uncontrolled movements, and problems with posture, balance, coordination, walking, speech, swallowing, and many other functions. Mental retardation, seizures, breathing problems, learning disabilities, bladder and bowel control problems, skeletal deformities, eating difficulties, dental problems, digestive problems, and hearing and vision problems are often linked to cerebral palsy. The severity of these problems varies widely, from very mild and subtle to very profound. Although the magnitude of the problems may wax and wane over time, the condition does not get worse over time. Types of cerebral palsy are as follows: • Spastic (pyramidal): Increased muscle tone is the defining characteristic of this type. The muscles are stiff (spastic), and movements are jerky or awkward. This type is classified by which part of the body is affected: diplegia (both legs), hemiplegia (one side of the body), or quadriplegia (the entire body). This is the most common type of CP, accounting for about 70-80% of cases. Dyskinetic (extrapyramidal): This includes types that affect coordination of movements. There are 2 subtypes. o Athetoid: The person has uncontrolled movements that are slow and writhing. The movements can affect any part of the body, including the face, mouth, and tongue. About 10-20% of cerebral palsy cases are of this type. Ataxic: This type affects balance and coordination. Depth perception is usually affected. If the person can walk, the gait is probably unsteady. He or she has difficulty with movements that are quick or require a great deal of control, such as writing. About 5-10% of cases of cerebral palsy are of this type. Mixed: This is a mixture of different types of cerebral palsy. A common combination is spastic and athetoid.



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Many individuals with cerebral palsy have normal or above average intelligence. Their ability to express their intelligence may be limited by difficulties in communicating. All children with cerebral palsy, regardless of intelligence level, are able to improve their abilities substantially with appropriate interventions. Most children with cerebral palsy require significant medical and physical care, including physical, occupational, and speech/swallowing therapy. Despite advances in medical care, cerebral palsy remains a significant health problem. The number of people affected by cerebral palsy has increased over time. This may be because more and more premature infants are surviving. In the United States, about 2-3 children per 1000 have cerebral palsy. As many as 1,000,000 people of all ages are affected. Cerebral palsy affects both sexes and all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

A Guide for Cerebral Palsy Caregiving
In caring for someone with cerebral palsy, it is important for family, doctors and specialists to work together to create a plan that is specifically tailored for the patient. Everyone has different needs in terms of level of care, independence and other factors, and it is crucial for caregivers to keep this individuality in mind. The following are general guidelines that caregivers should follow to form the basis of a care plan.

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Bathing and Hygiene
It is important to help patients learn proper bathing and hygiene practices from a young age. With practice, they will feel capable of taking on some of these responsibilities themselves, which will lead to greater feelings of independence. Caregivers should try to encourage their patients to get into the tub in a standing position from a young age, as this method will help the caregiver to safely move the patient in and out of the tub as she gets older and heavier. Caregivers should encourage patients to actively participate in washing themselves and to be unafraid of the sensation of water and warmth--sensations are sometimes felt much more intensely by people with cerebral palsy. To help a patient play a more active role in her bathing, it may be helpful to have a supportive seat installed in the tub or rails installed in the shower if the patient can safely stand. Dental hygiene is also important to emphasize for patients with cerebral palsy. A caregiver should try to help her patient adjust to brushing his teeth with a regular toothbrush, though this may be rather uncomfortable for some. If a patient reacts strongly to toothbrushes, a wet cloth with strong toothpaste or an antiseptic may be used. Patients should be seated and steadied for toothbrushing.

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Dressing and Personal Care
Dressing oneself is often a great way to for patients with cerebral palsy to feel some sense of independence and accomplishment in their day-to-day routine. Caregivers should help patients toward this end by first helping them to learn the process of undressing, which is usually easier than dressing. Patients can be safely steadied during dressing and undressing by accomplishing these tasks from a seated position or while holding onto furniture. It is more encouraging for patients to wear clothing that is easily pulled off or on, with big buttons, ties or Velcro, and that is made of soft fabrics. Caregivers can also help a patient to brush his hair and put on his own shoes. These practices can all be achieved through steady and safe positioning and encouragement on the part of the caregiver.

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Eating and Drinking
Specialists can help patients focus on mouth control and chewing, which are important for them to be able to eat their meals with greater independence. Getting proper nutrition throughout the day can sometimes prove difficult for people with cerebral palsy, so it is crucial that caregivers monitor eating closely and make sure that their patients are properly ingesting enough calories in a day. Caregivers should also make sure that patients can see the food in front of them as well as the utensils being used to feed them. With this awareness, they may better understand the spatial relationships between them, their utensils and their food and take more initiative in feeding themselves.

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Social Interaction
For anyone with cerebral palsy, opportunities for healthy social interaction is a key component to any day. Caregivers should encourage their patients to interact with others, engage in social activities and pursue goals and dreams, whether in academia, athletics, the arts or any other field. Many people with cerebral palsy are able to enjoy busy, full and accomplished lives, and caregivers should support this in any way they can. Helping patients to achieve greater independence and adjustment to sensations of touch and controlled movement will aid them in a wider variety of social interactions.

Read more: A Guide for Cerebral Palsy Caregiving | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5672076_guide-cerebral-palsy-caregiving.html#ixzz20crYa6wt

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