Cerebral Paly

[jsmitha]

Hello! My name is Jessica and I have a question about one of my  8 month old twin girls. She was born at 27 weeks and was smaller than the two due to a condition called ttts, and placental insufficiency. We had to have the laser surgery to laser the connecting blood vessels. She may be showing signs of CP. The doctors say she is high tone with very tight muscles, and her right foot curves slightly upward. When you stand her up on your legs she wants to stand on the side of her foot. She also flops around alot. She is reaching some of her milestones but slowly., not like her sister. Could she have a type of CP?

[itsmethere]

Given her history, she is definitely at risk for CP.  So if this is concerning her, you should have her evaluated, preferably by a pediatric neurologist.  Your pediatrician might also have a pretty good idea of whether she does or doesn't have CP, but a neurologist, if it's possible, is obviously better.

[momoftwins30807]

Hi. My girls are now 2 years old and the one was diagnosed with CP at around 9 months old. There were born at 31 weeks and Ella did spend 6 weeks in the NICU with expected complications. It is SO not uncommon for twins, usually just one, to have CP. I really couldn't tell you the exact reason for this, but it probably is just the fact that they are usually born early and have low birth weights and usually some degree of placental problems between the two. I have met numerous parents of twins that one child has some degree of CP. My dtr has a mild/moderate case of CP. She has just recently mastered crawling and pulling up on her tippytoes. I strongly suggest you look into an Early Intervention program in your state and get her evaluated for therapy. The sooner she gets started the better she will do. The program is not based on having an actual diagnosis, but just developmental delay in general. I would also have her seen by a Pediatric Neurologist. It does sound like she may have maybe a form of CP considering the tone you stated she has in her legs. Just remember that CP is a broad term used for children with certain degrees of developmental delay with or without known reason and it doesn't always show up on MRI's or CT scans. The diagnosis is usually base on the assessment of the child and their development.

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,

The term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. It is not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves but by abnormalities in parts of the brain that control muscle movements. FOr proper diagnosis, have her evaluated further by her doctor or be referred to a specialist for proper management. Complete medical history and physical examination are important in determining the underlying cause.  

Take care and do  keep us posted.

[as77]

Hi, I think that you need to seek a specialist out that knows about CP as it is not always something that can be diagnosed easily, I have a son who was born at 29 weeks and he was diagnosed at the age of 2. He was slower in development and his right side was weak from birth yet it was 2 years before we had an official diagnosis. There are many things that your daughter could have that can appear with the symptoms she is displaying. Spasticity is generally diagnosed as CP but other conditions can also display the exact same traits, without a proper evaluation you wont know. Early childhood clinics often have people to refer you to that can make the necessary testing available in order to obtain your correct diagnosis. At 8 months its hard to diagnose correctly unless its extreme case of CP. Even if you get a diagnosis it is not a bad thing, kids with CP are often very capable of leading a relatively normal life, with support and the correct medical treatment. One treatment in particular that helps with tight muscles is botox injections. They can be extremely effective in allowing less restriction in mobility and I find that this is really the best form of treatment for spasticity. Let me know how you go and just remember that no matter what the diagnosis you have two beautiful babies that love you.

[annieluvsjulie]

My daughter was born full term but had a rough delivery. I did not deliver her until 39 hours after my water broke. My daughter wasnt getting enough oxygen and now has CP and cortical blindness. We just had her 9 month developmental testing done. They couldnt do some of the testing because of her visual impairment, but the parts that they could, they said that her cognitive and motor skills are at 1-2 months. Even though she is VERY delayed, she has made huge strides and improvements and continues to get stronger every day with the help of early intervention services. The Early intervention programs are key-they make a huge difference. At this point, we dont know what our daughter is capable of doing and her neurologist says that she will never walk because she has very high tone in her legs and arms and very low tone in her trunk and neck. CP sounds like such a scary word, but no matter what-your babies will do amazing things. I couldnt be more proud of our daughter for all of the things that she does. You just have to love them for who they are and just do what you can to help them lead as normal of a life as possible for them.