Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage or injury to the neurological pathways between the cerebrum and cerebellum, affecting motor control and causing problems with movement, muscle coordination, and bodily processes. It can occur in the womb, due to medical conditions, accidents, or head injuries. It is not a genetic condition and affects fetuses or children under two years of age. Early diagnosis is crucial.
Cerebral palsy and brain damage are linked in that all cases of cerebral palsy occur due to some type of brain damage, injury, or trauma to the brain or the neurological pathways between the cerebrum and the cerebellum. This type of brain damage can occur in the womb, due to a medical condition, or during an accident. Cerebral palsy is a permanent and lifelong condition.
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and contains the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. Motor controls, cognitive thinking, language and speech, sensory controls, and vision are all functions controlled by these areas of the brain. Cerebral palsy usually affects the motor part of the brain responsible for posture and movement of muscles and limbs. This causes problems with walking and muscle coordination, eating and sitting, and can make the person’s muscles very stiff or floppy. The brain is also involved in many other bodily processes, including breathing and digestion, and cerebral palsy and brain damage can cause many other serious medical conditions to develop, such as seizures or respiratory disorders.
Cerebral palsy most often affects a fetus or child younger than two years of age. Oxygen deprivation, also known as hypoxia, during childbirth is one of the most common causes of cerebral palsy and brain damage. This can occur during a breech birth or if the fetal heart rate decreases to the point where the brain does not get enough oxygen from the blood supply. Certain illnesses or infections present during pregnancy can also increase the risk of cerebral palsy and brain damage. Rhesus incompatibility, also known as Rh disease, can cause severe jaundice in a newborn, leading to brain damage.
Cerebral palsy and brain damage could also be the result of abnormal brain growth or the connections between the cerebrum and cerebellum during the developing fetus in the womb. The condition is the result of an abnormally developed brain and not due to a genetic mutation or inherited condition. In the case of premature babies, the brain does not have time to fully develop.
A head injury from a fall or car accident can also cause cerebral palsy and brain damage in young children. Stoke, exposure to toxins or meningitis could damage the cerebrum or cerebellum, impairing the child’s ability to develop fine motor skills. Infants and children who have difficulty reaching early childhood developmental milestones should be seen by a pediatrician to determine whether the child may have cerebral palsy.
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