Mild Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis

Cerebral palsy is a medical condition caused by damage to the brain while in a mother's womb, during birth or just after birth. It is generally characterized by a loss or reduction of muscle coordination and movement of parts of the body. According to the website Cerebral Palsy Source, there are numerous causes of this neurological condition. As a result, each person affected by this disorder shows a variation of symptoms, from mild to severe.

Symptoms

• The Cerebral Palsy Source states that mild cerebral palsy is characterized by slight brain damage with symptoms that may not be immediately noticeable. Typically, physical movement is slightly affected but intelligence is not. Many children with mild cerebral palsy are not officially diagnosed until attention is brought to slight imperfections in physical movement as they grow older and develop. Common symptoms include walking on the toes or trouble grasping or lifting things with a particular hand. A patient may be unable to lift heavy objects but able to write. Other symptoms may include slow speech development; clumsiness; tightness of leg muscles; constantly bent arms, legs or fingers; leg pain; difficulty walking on the flat part of the feet.

Diagnosis

• According to an article provided by Brookes Publishing on the Cerebral Palsy Network website, a diagnosis is made through observation of abnormal motor skills and posture, damage to parts of the brain through MRIs and other testing, and acknowledgement that symptoms remain stagnant. Misdiagnosis sometimes occurs because symptoms are similar to those of other neurological disorders. Learning the history of the patient (such as an early or traumatic birth) helps doctors reach a diagnosis. The article suggests that an infant's neurological development be checked by a doctor at four months and again at eight months when most babies can sit up by themselves. The development should be recorded as "normal," "questionable" or "abnormal," but mild cerebral palsy can be difficult to diagnose.

Treatment

• If cerebral palsy is detected early, occupational or physical therapy treatment can be quite effective. Toe walking can be treated by plastic boots that get the foot muscles accustomed to walking correctly. High top sneakers help children who tend not to walk on the flat part of the foot because they add more weight and give ankle support. Other temporary forms of treatment that can be used are oral medicines (such as Baclofen or Valium) and Botox injections to relax tense muscles.

Limitations

• Many children with mild cerebral palsy can function normally in many cases and adapt quite well. According to Cerebral Palsy Source, it is only when faced with certain situations that involve physical coordination that they begin to feel hampered by their disability. This can occur during gym class or when playing sports that require running.

Outlook

• The health blog, New Healthy, suggests that parents who have children with mild cerebral palsy work closely with the doctor on ways to improve the symptoms instead of focusing on the shock of the diagnosis itself. Early detection and diagnosis can make a dramatic difference in the future of someone with mild cerebral palsy.