How Drugs Help To Control Stiff And Spastic Muscles In Infants With Cerebral Palsy

By Author: Robinson
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Cerebral palsy is a group of conditions known to affect the balance, posture and movement of the affected person. The symptoms vary from very mild to very severe but does not get worse as the kid matures into an adult. With the right treatment, a lot of kids considerably improve their abilities.

A lot of infants with cerebral palsy also have other health conditions that will need to be treated. These conditions include:
Learning disabilities
Mental retardation
Seizures
Hearing and speech impairments
Abnormal physical sensations (problems with sense of touch)

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Some children with cerebral palsy may experience delays in learning to walk, sit, roll over or crawl. Parents should immediately contact their infant's healthcare provider the moment they notice the following symptoms:

A baby over 2 months of age who:
Finds it difficult to control his or her head when picked up
Has stiff legs that cross when he or she is picked up

A baby over 6 months of age who:
Reaches with just one hand while he or she keeps the other hand ...
... in a fist

A baby over 10 months of age who
Crawls by pushing off with one of his or her hand and leg while dragging the other hand and leg along.

A one year (12 months) old child who:
Cannot crawl
Can't stand (even with support)

Treatment for Stiff and Spastic Muscles

Children usually start physical therapy as soon as they are diagnosed. Physical therapy helps improve motor skills like walking and sitting. It also helps to improve muscle strength and prevent contractures. There are times when casts, splints and braces are used along with physical therapy in order to help stop contractures (shortening of muscles which stops joint movement) and improve the function of legs and hands. If contractures are quite serious, a surgical procedure will be recommended in order to lengthen the affected areas.

Drugs to Control Stiff and Spastic Muscles in Infants
Drugs are sometimes recommended in order to ease spastic muscles or to ease abnormal movement. Sadly, oral drug treatments are most times really not helpful. Sometimes the injection of drugs like botulinum toxin (popularly referred to as "Botox") directly into spastic muscles is quite helpful – results may last for a couple of months.

A new kind of drug treatment is actually showing a lot of promise in infants with mild to severe spasticity. A pump (yes, a pump!) is implanted under the skin during the surgical procedure, the pump continuously delivers anti-spasmodic medication called "Baclofen".

A surgical technique known as "selective dorsal rhizotomy" may benefit some children with spastic cerebral palsy. This surgical technique can permanently reduce spasticity and enhance the affected child's ability to sit, stand and even walk. This process involves identifying and cutting some of the nerve fibers at the spine's base that contribute to spasticity.

However, this procedure is typically recommended just for children with a very serious case of spasticity and has not responded very well to other kinds of treatments.

Origins of Cerebral Palsy is the comprehensive source for information on causes and treatment of Cerebral Palsy.

Origins of Cerebral Palsy is the comprehensive source for information on causes and treatment of Cerebral Palsy