World Cerebral Palsy Day

World Cerebral Palsy Day is celebrated on October 6 and aims to raise public awareness of cerebral palsy and its impact on the quality of life of people living with the condition. Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent developmental, movement, and postural disorders associated with nonprogressive changes that occur during brain development in the fetus or child under 3 years of age and are secondary to injury or dysfunction of the central nervous system. The movement disorder is often accompanied by other comorbidities, the presence or absence of which largely determines the individual prognosis of these children. Types of the disease can be classified according to four criteria: Type: • Spasticity: hypertonicity in which there are exaggerated and uncoordinated movements. It affects 70-80% of patients. • Athetosis: It progresses from hypertension to hypotension, so slow and uncontrolled movements are present. These movements affect the entire hands, feet or legs, and in some cases the muscles of the face and tongue, causing grimacing or drooling. Movements become more intense during anxiety and subside during sleep. Patients may have problems coordinating the muscles needed for speech (dysarthria). • Ataxia: unbalanced gait, undeveloped gross and fine motor skills. This is a rare form in which sufferers walk unsteadily, with their feet far apart. • Mixed: This is the most common type. Patients exhibit different characteristics from previous types. The most common combination is spasticity and athetoid movements. By tone: • Isotonic: normal muscle tone.• Hypertonic: increased muscle tone.• Hypotonic: decreased muscle tone.• Variable. For the affected part of the body: • Hemiplegia or hemiparesis: one of the two sides of the body is affected.• Diplegia or diparesis: the lower half is more affected than the upper.• Quadriplegia or quadriparesis: all four limbs are paralyzed.• Paraplegia or paraparesis: the lower limbs are affected.• Monoplegia or monoparesis: is affected only one limb.• Triplegia or triparesis: three limbs are affected. By degree of damage: • Severe: little to no autonomy.• Moderate: patient is autonomous or needs help from an assistant.• Mild: complete autonomy. Most cases occur during pregnancy due to vascular processes and lack of oxygen during childbirth. Some risk factors for cerebral palsy: • Prenatal (35%), maternal infections: (rubella, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, listerosis), diabetes, gestosis, radiation therapy, carrying twins, hypoxia (poor circulation, anemia, hypotension, heart failure), idiopathic. • Perinatal period (55%), prematurity, circular spinal cord, airway obstruction, prolonged labor, analgesia, dystocia, sudden decompression (caesarean section), vitamin E or K deficiency. • Postpartum (10%) injuries, encephalitis, meningitis, seizures, dehydration, tumors. People with cerebral palsy usually have some difficulty coordinating or controlling their movements or posture, such as: • When muscle tone is high, spasticity occurs.• When involuntary movements occur, athetosis occurs.• When there are difficulties with balance and coordination, ataxia occurs.• When the above is combined, mixed cerebral palsy occurs. To celebrate this holiday, think about whether there are people around you with a similar disease, and if the answer is positive, take care of them, call them or write, they will be pleased.