Sensory Damage

[Concerned_Aunt2264]

I have a nephew that is going to be one year old. He suffered a stroke approximately 3 months after his birth. The MRI shows extensive damage to his brain. His therapist mentioned that he might have sensory damage which is characterized by the clinching of his hands, holding onto the spoon when he is fed, & sensitivity to his feet. He clasps onto your finger & holds on. Is it possible that he may not have the sensory damage? He has several other conditions that I would like explained to me if any one is out there that can please help me understand what he is going through & what is to come. I would like to ask many questions about his general condition and therapy.

[Dr Rajgopal]

Hi,
If the MRI shows extensive damage to the brain , it is likely that the senses of touch , smell , vision , hearing may be affected and may manifest in the time to come . Sometimes the nerves do regenerate and the function may be restored .Please consult a neurologist for the management . Please give good nutrition to the child including multivitamin , multimineral supplements so that the chances of regeneration are increased . Hope this helps you . Take care and regards !

[cinivon]

The therapist you mentioned, is she an Occupational therapist? if so, she may not be talking about damage, exactly, but a very common disorder in kids with special needs called Sensory Processing Disorder or Sensory Integration Dysfunction. This is very common with kids with any kind of neurological or brain issue, including stroke, mental health, autism, cp, etc. My daughter has Aperger Syndrome, a kind of autism, and she has Sensory Integration Dysfunction (or Sensory Processing Disorder). Basically, this means that sights, sounds, touch, taste, smell, and other senses such as vestibular (balance, etc.) and proprioreception (pressure) are tuned into a different frequency than the rest of us. The child may find the tags at the back of a shirt painful, or may have trouble with loud noises or crowded rooms, or may seek out certain sensory stimulation. This is not damage, just a processing issue. The child can get lots of help with Occupational Therapy and by people at home, and if he has the capacity, he can learn to help himself later on.
If this is the case, a good book is called "The Out of Sync Child"- ask the therapist about it.