About Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis
Given the fact that cerebral palsy is defined as a group of neurological disorders concerning the well functioning of body’s muscles and the ability of movement, the cerebral palsy diagnosis is not that difficult to establish. Nevertheless, cerebral palsy diagnosis poses some problems, especially due to the fact that it requires more than the parents’ attention regarding the child’s harmonious development. The cerebral palsy diagnosis seems easy to establish, if taking into account the following facts: the presence of some signs of brain injury, the difficulty or inability of movement, the weak development of body muscles, certain reflexes and reactions of the child and the absence of improvements in relative short time. This being said, the cerebral palsy diagnosis is not such a complex thing - however, extreme attention should be paid to the time factor and medical history of the child. In addition, some special tests should be done, including the physical examination and screening tests. In some cases, even additional tests should be done, tests like computed tomography, magnetic resonance image, ultrasound of the brain and developmental questionnaires.
The cerebral palsy diagnosis may take more time in some cases, since it may be unclear whether the child’s condition is better, worse or remains stable. The absence of change in symptoms is a clear sign of cerebral palsy, but in case the signs are contradictory, more tests are necessary in order to establish the correct diagnosis. That is why the only ones which can establish a clear diagnosis are the professionals or the neurologists, the ones which can clarify the situation and can point out a suitable treatment for cerebral palsy. The cerebral palsy diagnosis can be established in case the child was born with a severe form of cerebral palsy - this can be done within the first few weeks of life. In other cases, it may take until the first 18 months of age to discover the neurological disorder and to establish the cerebral palsy diagnosis and suitable therapy for the child. It is important to discover the correct diagnosis in due time, as the sooner the cerebral palsy diagnosis is established, the better for the efficiency of the therapies, be it the case of physical therapy, occupational or speech therapy, since they all have different and very precise roles and functions. In most of the cases, the cerebral palsy diagnosis is easy to establish in premature births with difficulties and problems. Another easy way to diagnose cerebral palsy is to pay attention to the developmental delays that can be the early signs of cerebral palsy. That is why being informed and taking care of the baby is decisive for the baby’s health. Parents can contribute to a correct diagnosis of their baby’s health problems, by paying attention to some signs or developmental problems. Anything that seems odd should be reported to the physician in order to avoid other health problems. Cerebral palsy diagnosis can be applied to other cases: child abuse, severe accidents that cause brain injury, consequences of badly treated or untreated diseases, as in the case of viral encephalitis and bacterial meningitis. Brain infections and brain damage within the first years of life are responsible for small number of cerebral palsy. However, attention should be paid to various accidents and diseases that could affect children in a disastrous way. |
