When is cerebral palsy diagnosed?

These questions are often asked by parents who are concerned about being diagnosed with MPD in their children. In the following article, we will dispel doubts and clarify all the burning questions.

Cerebral palsy - definition, symptoms and causes

Cerebral palsy

Childhood MPD (MPD) is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. It is estimated to affect about 17 million people worldwide. It is not a disease, but rather a set of disorders that can take different forms and vary in severity. Therefore, the diagnosis alone does not determine the extent of a child's disability. The group of sufferers can range from those who are independent to those who require constant care.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy includes symptoms such as wobbly movements, stiffness and muscle tension

, dystonia and athetosis. The problems thus involve abnormalities in motor functioning. MPD can therefore manifest as difficulties with walking, fine handedness, swallowing or speech. Many patients also struggle with musculoskeletal problems, which manifest as increased tension in the legs. Depending on the symptoms, cerebral palsy is divided into:

• - Spastic cerebral palsy - occurs in about 80-90% of MPD patients. It is caused by damage to the cerebral cortex. Characteristic symptoms include stiffness and muscle tension. Spastic cerebral palsy is divided into three subtypes: hemiplegia (one side of the body is paralyzed), diplegia (all limbs are paralyzed with a predominance of the lower limbs) and quadriplegia (legs and arms are paralyzed, and often the muscles of the trunk, face or mouth, and control of head positioning is poor),
• - Athetotic-hypotonic cerebral palsy - results from damage to the cerebellum. It is distinguished by balance disorders and resulting wobbly, uncoordinated movements,
• - Dyskinetic cerebral palsy - results from damage to the basal ganglia. It is characterized by involuntary movements, among which are dystonia, athetosis, chorea,
• - Mixed cerebral palsy - is a combination of the two previous types of cerebral palsy.

Causes of cerebral palsy

However, symptoms are not all you need to know about cerebral palsy, the causes of its onset are also important. Most often, it results from complications during the fetal period or perinatal and infancy. The direct cause of the condition is damage to nerve cells in the child's brain, which can result from ischemia, infection, hypoxia, metabolic disorders, toxin poisoning, brain malformations or genetic disorders. We can also distinguish risk factors that increase the likelihood of the appearance of paralysis of all limbs. These include:

• - bearing irregularities,
• - multiple pregnancy,
• - prematurity,
• - Hemorrhage before delivery,
• - perinatal encephalopathies,
• - thyroid disorders,
• - pregnancy poisoning,
• - IUGR.

When is cerebral palsy diagnosed?

The diagnosis of MPD focuses on performing a series of tests. When is infantile cerebral palsy diagnosed? The sooner it occurs, the better. In the case of severe MPD, the diagnosis can be made almost in the first days of a child's life, but in less severe forms, it can take up to several years to unequivocally determine the presence of the ailment. Not surprisingly, in infantile cerebral palsy, observing the first symptoms is particularly important. It is important to pay attention to the way the child sits, crawls or changes in position and compare them with the motor development characteristic of the age range. It is also worth remembering that symptoms may begin to intensify and become more prominent as the young patient grows.

Diagnosis of cerebral palsy

is based on a medical history, during which the doctor collects information about the course of pregnancy, childbirth, toxic substances that the mother-to-be had to deal with during pregnancy and the development of the newborn in the first months. The examination is then performed by a neurologist, whose goal is to assess muscle strength and tone, as well as the presence of pathological reflexes. It is also important to perform imaging studies (ultrasound, CT scan, MRI).

Cerebral palsy treatment at Paley European Institute

You already know about the diagnosis of cerebral palsy, so another important issue is its treatment. We have already mentioned that MPD is not a homogeneous disease, so also the therapy used varies depending on the symptoms present. However, it is worth emphasizing that cerebral palsy is incurable, but its course can be successfully mitigated.

At the Paley European Institute, we perform upright brace reconstruction, foot reconstruction, hip reconstruction and femoral upright osteotomy. We also perform SEMLS (single-event multilevel surgery), which is a simultaneous multilevel surgery to correct muscle imbalances, contractures and musculoskeletal deformities. Thanks to these measures, the comfort of the young patient's life is improved, and problems with the musculoskeletal system and posture are reduced. We also offer rehabilitation to learn the new possibilities offered by a properly functioning central nervous system. Pediatric orthopedics is our specialty.