How To Discover the Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the term used for several medical conditions that have to do with the disintegration of the cerebrum, an area of the brain.  Cerebral palsy can mean muscle paralysis of the different parts of the body based on the part of the brain that is affected. It can also cause body tremors. Most of the patients that are suffering from cerebral palsy are children, and about 75% occurs during pregnancy. Presently, there are no known cures for this condition. There are only treatments and preventive measures that can be done to lessen the complications.

Here are some of the causes of cerebral palsy:

1. Oxygen deprivation. It is said that one of the causes of cerebral palsy is deprivation of oxygen or asphyxia for the baby while the mother is giving birth or when in labor. However, scientists discovered that less than 10% of cerebral palsy occurs during birth. Most of the cases happen before birth, during the first and second trimester of the pregnancy.
2. Periventricular Leukomalacia or PVL. PVL is the condition wherein the person’s white matter inside the brain is damaged. This condition of the unborn child may be the effect of a disease caught by the mother during her pregnancy. It may also be the effect when the mother takes illegal drugs while pregnant.
3. Abnormal brain development. Another cause of cerebral palsy may be the abnormal development of the baby’s brain while inside the womb. The development of the brain happens during the first 6 months of pregnancy. During this time, the fetus is at risk for abnormal brain development. Infections, viruses and even a strain on the baby’s head may cause this.
4. Intracranial hemorrhage. Intracranial hemorrhage happens when the unborn baby suffers a stroke while inside the womb. The brain begins to bleed inside, and this may cause brain tissue to become damaged. There are several things that can cause an unborn baby to have a stroke. Some of these are, inflammatory infections of the mother, a clotting disorder, prolonged labor or even an emergency c-section.
5. Brain damage after birth. A small percentage of kids who have cerebral palsy get it after birth. This happens due to head injuries, poisoning or infections that may be acquired by the baby. When this happens, the baby’s brain starts to develop abnormally, and this causes cerebral palsy.
6. Types of cerebral palsy. There are different types of cerebral palsy. One of them is the spastic cerebral palsy. Under this, there are spastic hemiplegeia, spastic diplegia and spastic quadriplegia. The other types of cerebral palsy are ataxic cerebral palsy, athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy or hypotonic cerebral palsy. Some of the symptoms of these are difficulty feeding, bad coordination, hearing problems and more.

These are some of the known causes of cerebral palsy. If you suspect that your child has cerebral palsy, immediately consult a doctor so that you can decide on a treatment that will make life easier for your baby. Some of the symptoms may not manifest until a few months so you should be aware of your baby’s actions.