Question 1

hello docs, is cerebral palsy a disease and is it hereditary?

Accepted Answer

Injury to nerves: CP results from a stable (non-progressive) injury to brain cells that are devoted to movement, muscle control ; posture. The injury can be lack of nutrients (oxygen, glucose) due to blood flow problems or hemorrhage or infection (virus, parasite, bacteria).The injury can occur during pregnancy, labor, delivery or the first 3 yrs. It is not inherited or caught.

Question 2

will docs only diagnose cerebral palsy when there are definitive findings on mri? what clinical signs might they use instead?

Accepted Answer

Cerebral palsy: Doctors have diagnosed cerebral palsy for a great many years before the MRI was invented.  There are numerous signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy and your physician can discuss this with you concerning the individual in question.

Question 3

my niece who was 2 years old, has cerebral palsy since his birth. his doc prefer us to use l-carnitine with the other meds. what's the effect of that?

Accepted Answer

Helps metbolize fats: Carnitine plays a key role in transporting fats across the mitochondrial membrane. Some individuals with cerebral palsy have genetic metabolic imbalances like glutaric acidemia type 1 that cause carnitine deficiency. But since I do not know the details of your niece's condition, this question can be better answered by her doctor!

Question 4

how is cerebral palsy diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Physical exam: Since infants do little more than feed & cuddle we must wait until they are a little older to  begin showing abnormalities of  muscle tone & difficulty acheiving motor skills before CP is suspected. I have suspected this as early as 6 months but it is often around a year before the features are evident enough to make the dx.Workup may look into  look alike issues.

Question 5

what  causes cerebral palsy in child?

Accepted Answer

Damage to the brain: Cerebral palsy is a term used to label a child who has a static encephalopathy.  There are many different types and degrees of dysfunction that fall within that label.  There are abnormalities of motor function found on neurological examination, but the child may be quite intelligent and otherwise normal.  The cause is complex but involves damage to motor control areas of the brain.

Question 6

what causes cerebral palsy in children?

Accepted Answer

Various causes: It is often not known, but any injury to the brain, whether through an infection, or inflammation or low oxygen, or other, can potentially lead to cerebral palsy. Those insults often happen early on in life or even during fetal stages of life.

Question 7

what are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?

Accepted Answer

Cerebral palsy: there are multiple symptoms, if concerned you better see a physician in person for this.

Question 8

are falculations in cerebral palsy normal?

Accepted Answer

Fasciculations: I believe you mean fasciculations. Yes, they are  "normal" in cerebral palsy.

Question 9

what sort of disease is cerebral palsy (c.p.)?

Accepted Answer

Brain damage: CP is a form of brain damage in early life.  It could be from lack of oxygen to the brain, a bleed from a broken/burst blood vessel, head trauma and similar.  The brain damage could be while the baby is still in the mother's womb (in-utero) or in the first year or two of life after birth.  It can cause problems with learning, thinking, movement, sensation and communication.

Question 10

what are the main challenges of cerebral palsy?

Accepted Answer

Attempt to be normal: Cerebral palsy is a static encephalopathy that causes difficulty with control of parts of the body.  Some patients also have mental retardation and epilepsy, and many with have significant orthopedic problems.  However, given the proper treatment and therapy, many patients can lead very normal and productive lives.

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Doctor answers about:

Cerebral palsy doc

A member asked:

Hello docs, is cerebral palsy a disease and is it hereditary?

A member asked:

Will docs only diagnose cerebral palsy when there are definitive findings on mri? what clinical signs might they use instead?

A member asked:

My niece who was 2 years old, has cerebral palsy since his birth. his doc prefer us to use l-carnitine with the other meds. what's the effect of that?

A member asked:

How is cerebral palsy diagnosed?

A member asked:

What causes cerebral palsy in child?

A member asked:

What causes cerebral palsy in children?

A member asked:

What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?

A member asked:

Are falculations in cerebral palsy normal?

A member asked:

What sort of disease is cerebral palsy (c.p.)?

A member asked:

What are the main challenges of cerebral palsy?

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