March Is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month...

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills (the ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way). CP is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child's birth, or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life.
The brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities.
There is no cure for CP, but treatment, therapy, special equipment, and, in some cases, surgery can help a child who is living with the condition.

 

About Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the United States have the condition.

 The three types of CP are:

1. spastic cerebral palsy — causes stiffness and movement difficulties
2. athetoid cerebral palsy — leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements
3. ataxic cerebral palsy — causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception.

Our little guy Blaze has ataxic with hypotonia.
 

Cerebral palsy affects muscle control and coordination, so even simple movements — like standing still — are difficult. Other vital functions that also involve motor skills and muscles — such as breathing, bladder and bowel control, eating, and learning — may also be affected when a child has CP. Cerebral palsy does not get worse over time.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

The exact causes of most cases of CP are unknown, but many are the result of problems during pregnancy in which the brain is either damaged or doesn't develop normally. This can be due to infections, maternal health problems, a genetic disorder, or something else that interferes with normal brain development. Problems during labor and delivery can cause CP in some cases. but this is the exception.
Premature babies — particularly those who weigh less than 3.3 pounds (1,510 grams) — have a higher risk of CP than babies that are carried full-term, as are other low birth weight babies and multiple births, such as twins and triplets.

Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

CP may be diagnosed very early in an infant known to be at risk for developing the condition because of premature birth or other health problems. Doctors, such as pediatricians and developmental and neurological specialists, usually follow these kids closely from birth so that they can identify and address any developmental delays or problems with muscle function that might indicate CP.
In a baby carried to term with no other obvious risk factors for CP, it may be difficult to diagnose the disorder in the first year of life. Often doctors aren't able to diagnose CP until they see a delay in normal developmental milestones (such as reaching for toys by 4 months or sitting up by 7 months), which can be a sign of CP.
Abnormal muscle tone, poorly coordinated movements, and the persistence of infant reflexes beyond the age at which they are expected to disappear also can be signs. If these developmental milestones are only mildly delayed, the diagnosis of CP may not be made until the child is a toddler.

How Cerebral Palsy Affects Development

Kids with CP have varying degrees of physical disability. Some have only mild impairment, while others are severely affected. This depends on the extent of the damage to the brain. For example, brain damage can be very limited, affecting only the part of the brain that controls walking, or can be much more extensive, affecting muscle control of the entire body.
The brain damage that causes CP can also affect other brain functions, and can lead to other medical issues. Associated medical problems may include visual impairment or blindness, hearing loss, food aspiration (the sucking of food or fluid into the lungs), gastroesophageal reflux (spitting up), speech problems, drooling, tooth decay, sleep disorders, osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones), and behavior problems.
Seizures, speech and communication problems, and mental retardation are more common among kids with the most severe forms of CP. Many have problems that may require ongoing therapy and devices such as braces or wheelchairs.

Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Currently there's no cure for cerebral palsy, but a variety of resources and therapies can provide help and improve the quality of life for kids with CP.
Different kinds of therapy can help them achieve maximum potential in growth and development. As soon as CP is diagnosed, a child can begin therapy for movement, learning, speech, hearing, and social and emotional development.
In addition, medication, surgery, or braces can help improve muscle function. Orthopedic surgery can help repair dislocated hips and scoliosis (curvature of the spine), which are common problems associated with CP. Severe muscle spasticity can sometimes be helped with medication taken by mouth or administered via a pump (the baclofen pump) implanted under the skin.
A variety of medical specialists might be needed to treat the different medical conditions. (For example, a neurologist might be needed to treat seizures or a pulmonologist might be needed to treat breathing difficulties.) If several medical specialists are needed, it's important to have a primary care doctor or a CP specialist help you coordinate the care of your child.
A team of professionals will work with you to meet your child's needs. That team may include therapists, psychologists, educators, nurses, and social workers.
Many resources are available to help and support you in caring for your child. Talk to your doctor about finding those in your area.

This article was found here- KidsHealth- Cerebral Palsy Info

He is getting better ever day!....

It has taken over three years and hundreds of therapy sessions to get to this point. We are pretty excited about it. He is getting better every day. Look at my baby go! I am one proud mom.

He is a SENsational kid!...

This was our daily update to Mrs Cindy, Blaze's buddy over at www.whoirun4.com 

Today Blaze has worked VERY hard in OT and PT. He worked mostly with sensory boxes. He even set in one of the boxes, which made his OT VERY happy ,because it was full of sensory stuff that would normally gross Blaze out and send him either vomiting or in a melt down. Not today! 

He also matched all the balls to the right colored baskets, put puzzles pieces in their correct places, and stacked boxes. This was by far his best day ever in OT. His OT was so excited today. She just kept hugging him and bragging on how far he has come.

 In PT he worked on his balance and strengthening his legs. He enjoyed his PT rolling him up in a blanket and swinging him back and forth. He still struggles with movement he can't control, but  today he did great. Now every time he sees a blanket he wants me to swing him in it. We will all have sore arms tomorrow:) Now, he is napping. It's been a good day!

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Will he walk?...

After waiting almost 2.5 weeks we finally got the results from Blaze's brain MRI. Dr Keller called on Tuesday to discuss those with us. She said, Blaze's brain showed several white spots/matter on both sides that she believes to be scar tissue left from the CMV virus that he was born with. She also said the corpus callosum part of the brain was not as it should be so she diagnosed him with cerebral palsy which is probably the reason why my precious baby isn't walking. Most likely the CP was also caused by CMV. I asked her if she believes Blaze will walk. She said, she believes he will...eventually. She said, maybe not this week, next month, or possibly this year, but she believes he will. She said she is very pleased with how well Blaze is doing. He is way better than she first predicted and much better than most of the CMV babies that she sees. She told us to keep doing exactly what we are doing (therapy, therapy, therapy and lots of TLC).  Also, the good news is that his brain won't get any worse than it is. It will only get better from here. The neat thing about the brain and also the heart is that they can find ways to bypass damaged areas and create new routes and connections. I thought that was pretty neat. The body is an amazing thing.

She also said that she believes Blaze is autistic. She referred us to the Marcus Center. The same place Baby Girl (our past foster) went. We are going to go ahead and start seeing a developmental pediatrician, while we wait to get in at the Marcus. The wait for Marcus can take up to a year, but it's well worth the wait. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else. It's the top place here in GA and the SE. 

The results weren't what we hoped for, but I wasn't totally surprised either. It answered many of the questions that I've had floating around in my mind concerning my little boy.  At least now we have some answers and now we know what we are working with. 

 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,and he will direct thy paths. ~Proverbs 3:5-6