What are the Cerebral Palsy Causes and Symptoms?

Cerebral Palsy is a neurological disorder which affects scores of children every year. It is a disease which affects the motor functions of a child. The effects of Cerebral Palsy can vary extremely from one child to another. It may result in the loss of motor function in one child and cause movement problems. While in other kids it may result in loss of speech, hearing or any other problem. Whatever the effect may be, the fact remains that Cerebral Palsy is one such disease that is rampant in infants and newborns and doctors seem to have no control over its occurrence.

Before deliberating further about Cerebral Palsy causes and Cerebral Palsy symptoms, the first question we need to ask ourselves is, "what is Cerebral Palsy? ". Cerebral Palsy, in its most basic sense, has been defined as a particular group of movement disorders which surfaces in early childhood of a person. It is mainly caused due to the damage which might have been inflicted on the part of the brain that is responsible for controlling the motor functions of a person. There are a number of causes of Cerebral Palsy. This includes,

·         Any form of injury that may have been inflicted on the infant can possibly result in Cerebral Palsy. Any possible brain trauma resulting from a complication during birth may cause Cerebral Palsy.

·         A pregnant woman who had had a number of infections during her pregnancy might have a child who'd eventually suffer from Cerebral Palsy.

·         Inflammation in the brain caused due to infection or any other such disease caused to an infant may result in Cerebral Palsy.

·       

  A genetic mutation can also be one of the many possible Cerebral Palsy causes.

·         Many a times, a pregnant woman can have a complicated pregnancy. In some occasions, the woman may suffer a foetal stroke which results in a temporary disruption of blood flow to the foetus's brain. This temporary loss in flow may result in brain damage and even cause Cerebral Palsy in a child.

·         Cerebral Palsy can also result from any form of traumatic head injury which a child must have suffered at any point of time.

Apart from these, infant illnesses, premature birth, extremely low weight at the time of birth and breech births can increase the chances of Cerebral Palsy in an infant. Many doctors are even of the opinion that when a person has several babies at once, i.e. more than one baby shares the womb, the chances of the child developing Cerebral Palsy is extreme. One should be on a lookout for possible symptoms of Cerebral Palsy, if his or her child has had a traumatic head injury. This includes seizure, epilepsy, sensory impairment, difficulty in communication, hearing troubles and behavioral disorders. The symptoms of Cerebral Palsy generally do not manifest in an infant immediately but can be seen over the time, as the child starts to grow. This is why; the parents of the child should be constantly vigilant and consult a doctor in case any of the aforementioned symptoms show up.