What causes cerebral palsy?

The causes of cerebral palsy are quite complicated. For example, premature babies are more likely to suffer from symptoms of cerebral palsy. In addition, some congenital factors are also important causes of cerebral palsy, including some abnormal brain development. Of course, more important are some bad living habits of the mother in daily life, such as smoking and drinking during pregnancy, accidental injuries, etc., which may lead to cerebral palsy.

What causes cerebral palsy?

1. Low birth weight babies (less than 2500g): including premature babies and full-term small babies.

2. Congenital abnormalities: including brain development abnormalities caused by various reasons. Among patients with cerebral palsy with quadriplegia, 53% are related to congenital abnormalities; among patients with cerebral palsy without quadriplegia, 35% are caused by congenital maldevelopment.

3. Cerebral ischemia and hypoxia: Among patients with cerebral palsy, 20% are caused by asphyxia and birth trauma. The factors leading to ischemia and hypoxia include:

(1) Maternal factors: such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, heart failure, heavy bleeding, anemia, shock, drug abuse, drug overdose, etc.;

(2) Placental factors: such as placental abruption, placenta previa, placental necrosis or placental dysfunction;

(3) Umbilical cord blood flow obstruction: such as umbilical cord prolapse, compression, knotting or entanglement;

(4) Abnormal delivery process: such as breech delivery, delayed labor, surgical delivery (forceps) or use of anesthetics;

(5) Neonatal factors: In addition to asphyxia, there are many cardiopulmonary dysfunction diseases. Such as: congenital heart disease, respiratory distress syndrome, circulatory failure, polycythemia.

4. Kernicterus: It is an important cause of cerebral palsy. With the progress of domestic medicine, the proportion of cerebral palsy caused by kernicterus has decreased.

Treatment of cerebral palsy in children

The main treatment method is a trinity of medication, rehabilitation and surgery.

1. Rehabilitation therapy:

(1) Rehabilitation massage: baby touch, whole body and local massage;

(2) Acupuncture treatment.

(3) Functional and intellectual training: Perception, audio-visual, language, memory and movement training, combined with comprehensive treatment of infant exercises.

(4) Psychotherapy: Talk with the child, observe his/her emotions, psychology, and interests, provide guidance and inspiration, adjust his/her pathological psychology, and develop intelligence through games and music.

(5) Exercise therapy: weight loss gait training, Bobath method, Bojta method, Ueda therapy, occupational therapy, balance function training, sensory integration therapy, cultural and sports therapy, etc.

(6) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

(7) Physical therapy: excitatory therapy device, cerebral circulation therapy device, digital leveling therapy device, near infrared, composite multifunctional fumigation, etc.

(8) Hydrotherapy: whirlpool, bubble bath therapy, and water exercise therapy.

2. Drugs:

(1) Western medicine: cerebrolysin, citicoline diphosphate, botulinum toxin type A, cerebroside carnosine, baclofen, and diazepam.

(2) Traditional Chinese medicine: Liuwei Dihuang Pills, etc.

3. Surgery: aponeurosis release, selective peripheral nerve resection, Achilles tendon sliding lengthening, rectus femoris distal transfer, etc.