Symptoms of cerebral palsy in infants and how to handle it

< Cerebral palsy in babies is a form of brain nerve disorder that makes sufferers difficult to move. Suffering from this condition makes the baby experience various disorders of movement and coordination of the body, one of which is unable to move part of his body.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the impact of damage to the brain or abnormal brain growth. A child or baby can be born with this condition or experience it after he was born.

There are several factors that can increase the risk of a baby experiencing CP, namely:

• Born
• Lack of oxygen to the brain, for example due to asphyxia or severe breathing problems.
• Infected during pregnancy, for example due to rubella, herpes, toxoplasmosis, and amniotic infections.
• Affected by meningitis after birth.
• Has a low Apgar value at birth.
• Having bleeding in the brain.
• Has a head injury, for example due to a fall or use of forceps or vacuum at birth.
• Has a genetic disorder.
• Having a stroke or obstruction of blood flow to the brain.

A baby or child should be suspected of having cerebral palsy if he has one or more of the risk factors above and is experiencing complaints or symptoms that lead to this disease.

These are the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy in Infants

Symptoms of cerebral palsy in infants can usually be seen since he was only a few months old. However, this condition is often not realized by parents. Most cases of cerebral palsy are only detected when the baby is 1 or 2 years old. Sometimes this condition is even diagnosed in older children.

In general, there are several signs and symptoms that indicate that the baby has cerebral palsy, which are:

• Growth and development disorders, such as infants unable to roll, crawl, sit, and walk.
• There are parts of the body that are overly limp or rigid.
• Babies only use one side of their body in their activities. For example when crawling, he supports his body with only the right hand and foot.
• It's hard to breathe.
• Often experience seizures.
• Impaired vision or hearing.
• Cannot speak or speak late.

You can also recognize specific signs of cerebral palsy based on the baby's age.

In infants less than 6 months old, cerebral palsy is usually marked with:

• Cannot raise your head when you lift it or when you hold it.
• One part of his body feels stiff or weak.
• When lifted, his legs cross or stiff.
• When carried, he acts like he's uncomfortable and tries to stay away from you.

While in infants aged 6 months or more, cerebral palsy can be recognized by the appearance of symptoms in the form of:

• The baby doesn't roll in any direction.
• He has difficulty putting his hands together.
• His hands are unable to reach his mouth.
• He reaches for something with only one hand, while the other hand only clenches.

Then in babies over 10 months old, you need to be suspicious that he has cerebral palsy if:

• Crawling on one side only uses one hand and one foot, while the other hand and foot are dragged as if it cannot be moved.
• Suck using the thigh or buttocks.
• Cannot stand even though it has been holding on or resting on an object.

Not only that, cerebral palsy can also cause other health problems, such as tremors, stiffness, muscle weakness, or impaired body coordination.

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy are not always the same for every baby who experiences them. This depends on which part of the brain is damaged. This condition is often similar to several other diseases.

Therefore, if an infant or child shows some of the signs and symptoms above, consult a doctor immediately to be able to ascertain the cause.

Can Cerebral Palsy Be Cured?

Cerebral palsy is a condition that will last a lifetime. Until now there has not been found any method of treatment that can cure this condition completely. However, there are several methods of treatment that can be done to relieve symptoms and support the baby to grow and develop as well as possible.

The main therapeutic goal of cerebral palsy is also more focused on helping infants or children who experience this condition to be able to carry out activities independently, such as grasping an object, crawling, sitting, and walking.

To determine whether the baby has cerebral palsy or not, it needs to be examined by a pediatrician first. In determining the diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a physical examination on the baby or child, ask for a history of the mother's pregnancy, and determine whether there are certain health problems in the baby after the baby is born.

Doctors will also carry out growth and development evaluations and investigations, such as blood tests, electroencephalography (EEG), and brain scans with CT scans, MRIs, or head ultrasound.

If the doctor's examination results show that the baby has cerebral palsy , then the doctor can suggest a number of treatment steps, which are:

<=Physiotherapy

There are several types of physical therapy (physiotherapy) that can be applied to help babies adapt to their conditions. The doctor will determine the type of physiotherapy and specific training techniques that the baby needs with this condition according to which part of the body is affected by cerebral palsy.

The main goal of this therapy is to increase muscle strength, balance and coordination of movements, and control of the baby's movements. That way, the baby is expected to be able to carry out normal activities, such as raising his head, rolling, and grasping.

speech therapy

This therapy is actually aimed at children with cerebral palsy who have difficulty communicating and talking. In infants, speech therapy can be done to train the strength of the mouth and jaw muscles, so that it can improve the ability to speak later.

Evaluation of growth and development

This is one of the important components in handling cerebral palsy. The aim is to assess whether there are problems with the growth and development of infants and provide treatment as early as possible so that the baby can grow and develop normally.

The administration of drugs here is not to cure cerebral palsy, but rather to deal with annoying complaints.

For example, if there are stiff muscles that make it difficult for the baby to move or undergo physical therapy or speech therapy, the doctor can give muscle relaxants, such as diazepam, baclofen, and injections onabotulinumtoxin A (botox). If cerebral palsy makes a patient experience seizures frequently, doctors can give anti-seizure medication.

Aside from drugs and therapy, symptoms of cerebral palsy can also be alleviated by surgery. This method is usually done when other treatments are ineffective or complications occur, such as contractures or scar tissue that makes muscle movement limited, or abnormal bone growth.

In addition to the medical treatment above, emotional support and encouragement or good growth and development stimulus from people is also a very important step in handling infants with cerebral palsy.

With proper treatment and good support from family, infants and children suffering from cerebral palsy have a high chance of being able to grow and develop normally, although they still have limitations. In most cases, sufferers of cerebral palsy must use assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, for the rest of their lives.

Therefore, if there are symptoms that indicate the child or baby has cerebral palsy, immediately take him to the pediatrician to get a proper examination and treatment.

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