A Basic Measure for Early Identification of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy in Infants

Spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy can be diagnosed at earliest of six months of age, ensuring earlier treatments and better results in the long run. However, it is quite challenging to evaluate the difference between developing infants and those with cerebral palsy hemiplegic. One should consider visiting an academic Medical center to know the results as they have the right tools and specialized training that can aid in diagnosis.

However, a recent study has provided some solutions to these problems. Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination’s asymmetry score, when the same gets used along with exam’s total score, ithelp’s in differentiating the typically developing and spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy children.

How to Identify Early Symptoms?

A study was conducted on 74 confirmed CP infants, which included 35 hemiplegia patients. It was noted that 13 children with hemiplegia had a HINE score of more than 63, which does not usually indicate cerebral palsy.

The researchers calculated a separate asymmetry where an item on the HINE test had an asymmetric between right and left side was given once score. It was noted that children with Hemiplegia scored at least six and max 17. Moreover, no child with diplegia had their asymmetry more than three, while the children with quadriplegia had scores between 0 to 15.

So, it was concluded that HEIN scores less than 63 with an asymmetric score above 5 had 1.8% sensitivity and specificity of 100% in differentiating typical development with hemiplegia. But one should know even if this code does not suggest a diagnosis, the child within asymmetric or higher than five should take professional help.

The cut-offs are essential for using HINE. Moreover, the care providers can take the exams in 5 minutes free of cost. Using the results, one can quickly get that child help and attention they need.

Take Help from the Right Medical Care

Spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy with proper care and attention can be treated. However, you need to identify the symptoms, the earliest possible to provide your kid the right treatment. Trishla Foundation, for years has been offering special care to the children with CP. Their industry- leading treatment and professionals have already helped many children in one or other throughout their treatment. Their help is all your child needs right now.

Exercises For Children With Cerebral Palsy

One of the best methods to enable locomotion in a body affected by Cerebral Palsy (CP) is to undertake regular exercises. The advantages of such exercises include enhanced muscle tone, better flexibility, more strength, trunk balance, and mobility. Even though exercises also help to strengthen the bones, a CP patient must exert himself or herself only under the supervision of the best doctor for cerebral palsy in India.

A normal baby can move its limbs continuously without any efforts, but a child diagnosed with CP will find these spontaneous movements difficult. Such babies are relatively inactive as compared to other babies, and so exercises are essential for them. Motor and sensory exercises are essential for the development of cognitive skills. Even parents can spend time with CP children and help them perform exercises, but only after consultation from the expert.

Examples of exercises for children with Cerebral Palsy

1. Leg and arm cycling are excellent for such children. This exercise can be performed indoors with the help of stationary machines. Children will be able to strengthen their muscles through this.

2. Stretching is an important exercise, but caution should be taken. Strenuous exercise can break the weak bone and causes muscle soreness. Stretching exercise for a long duration can over lengthen the few important muscles. Stretching is only needed in spastic and short muscle only. All kind of stretching exercise is prohibited in dyskinetic & ataxic CP.

3. Joint mobilization is a very common exercise practiced in cerebral palsy. It is a traditional form of exercise and does more harm than benefit to these children so it should not be practiced.

4. Simple activities such as climbing stairs, creeping, crawling knee walk, picking & transferring the object is help a lot these children.

5. Child play can be encouraged by allowing play with musical, light, vibratory & different textured toys. This exercise is important for the sake of developing touch and improving functional activities.

6. The use of the following tools help in physical therapy:

Free weights
Resistance bands
Electric stimulation of muscle
Hot and cold packs
Exercise balls

7. Lying down on the tummy helps to stretch hips at the front, and gravity enables the knees to be straightened. If the child lies with arms up to the sides it helps stretch the shoulders. Time spent on the tummy aids in sitting balance and development of head control Parents must make it a point to be involved with physical therapy after consultation from the best doctor for cerebral palsy in India. It will certainly help to motivate the child.

How To Help Children Affeceted with Cerebral Palsy Through Physical Exercise?

One of the best ways to relieve oneself of the pain, muscle stiffness and lack of mobility experienced due tocerebral palsy India isphysiotherapy.In fact, the therapy is the mainstay treatment and prevention for future health problems. Special techniques used for rehabilitation of cerebral palsy children are NDT, SI, TRP , MRP , Strengthening, stretching exercises & many others, which are very specifically designed for cerebral palsy.

With the use of physical therapy, motor skills are prevented from becoming worse over time. But these techniques are much more useful if applied at very early age. Also the extent to which it can help would depend on the type and case of CP and its severity. Children below two years of age require only physiotherapy but between 2 to six years they may require botulinum toxin injection if spasticity interferes with therapy, after ten years of age if rigidity and deformity develops then it may require a specific surgical technique. But some time general orthopedic surgical techniques may make child to worse. Only highly specific techniques can benefit in some selected 10% children. Also botulinum toxin injection helps in managing spasticity & surgery does correct deformity but these must be added with correct physiotherapy for long term functional benefit.

The sooner physical therapy is started, the better chances a child has for improvement.

Physical therapy is carried out through a variety of physical exercises. These exercises help in improvement of the following:

Posture
Pain management
Flexibility
Endurance
Balance
Strength
Overall health
Gait
Functional capacity

Benefits of Physical Therapy

The types of exercises depend upon type of patient, and thereby have specific benefits as per type of cerebral palsy. Some benefits of exercises for cerebral palsy India are:

Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT): These are very important especially in early age children who have not gained developmental milestones. We cannot simply jump for any kind of therapy. The child has to pass through all the stages in due course of time

Sensory integration (SI): cerebral palsy kids frequently have problems with any of their senses like touch, vision, hearing etc. If brought at early age before the maturity of brain they can be benefitted by SI techniques.

Strength training is done for week muscles, stretching is done to tight muscle but should be gentle

Tone relaxing posture (TRP): if muscle tone is high in particular muscle group, some specific techniques are used to relax the tone so as to aid for exercise. Specially designed for dyskinetic CP.

Yoga posture & meditation : Few Yoga posture & meditation technique are very helpful in relaxing the child and keep flexible & healthy joint.

Cerebral palsy in children can be classified on the basis of location of movement issues:

1) Monoplegia- There is movement problem in one limb

2) Hemiplegia– Movement restricted to one half of the body

3)Diplegia– Movements restricted to either the torso or legs

4) Quadriplegia– Movements in all the four limbs and trunk are affected

Causes and Treatments for Child’s Cerebral Palsy in India

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the term used to denote a non-progressive but frequently changing motor impairment syndrome that impacts children up to 2.5 years. Children suffering from this find it difficult to carry out alternate and coordinated movements, as well as in keeping the body in an anti-gravity posture. 2 to 2.5 cases of these are observed across every 1000 live births in India. Unfortunately, there still is no permanent cure for CP, but one can certainly keep the symptoms under control and lead a normal life over time.

One very important misconception must be cleared here – Cerebral Palsy is not a hereditary disease. It occurs due to either abnormal development of the brain or due to damage to the brain at an early age. Such problems are usually visible at the time of pregnancy, or just after birth. The exact cause of this disease is still not completely known. The lists of factors that may lead to abnormal development of a child’s brain include:

• Asphyxia, or loss of oxygen supply to the brain as a result of difficult labor or delivery

• Brain infection in new born

• Fetal stroke, where a disruption takes place in the blood supply of the developing brain

• Mutation of genes that enable brain development

• A severe head injury to an infant due to a fall or a motor accident

• Maternal infections that cause problems for the developing fetus

Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Children who are affected by Cerebral Palsy need to be given long term care by an entire medical team. This team includes one or more of the following professionals:

• Occupational therapist- To provide therapy to the child for the development of daily skills

• Speech-language pathologist- To work with the child in case he or she has difficulties with swallowing, speech or language

• Pediatrician- To supervise overall medical care and the treatment plan

• Orthopedic surgeon- To treat muscle and bone disorders

• Pediatric neurologist- To diagnose and treat children with brain and neurological disorders

• Mental health specialist/Psychiatrist- To help the child mentally handle his or her disability

• Developmental therapist- To help the child develop social and interpersonal skills as per age

• Social worker- To help the child’s family plan transitions in care