Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy

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by: ten
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Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2011 Time: 2:48 AM
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Hypotonic cerebral palsy is the result of injury to or malformation of the cerebellum of the brain. A number of events can result in this type of injury including: premature birth, not enough oxygen reaching the brain, infections, brain hemorrhage, strokes and birth related injuries. In this type of palsy the child's muscles are flaccid and limbs may be weak or limp. Infants with the condition often to exhibit a "rag doll" quality and provide no resistance to attempts to manipulate their limbs.

Diagnosis usually occurs very early in life. Infants exhibiting flaccid or floppy limbs will typically be given an ECG to rule out cerebral palsy. The condition does not affect intelligence, but children with hypotonic cerebral palsy may have difficulty speaking or learning tasks requiring hand eye coordination. However, the condition is not progressive. If a child shows progressive symptoms they are typically from some other source or event. Hypotonia can have other causes besides CP.

There is little in the way of pharmacological treatments for the condition. Most interventions center around attempting to strengthen the child's muscles and attending to the child's safety. The severity of the diagnosis ranges from barely noticeable to debilitating. Most cases are somewhere in between these two extremes. Early diagnosis and intervention lead to much better outcomes for the child.

Children with this form of CP are at risk for falls due to their lax musculature. Parents should attempt to arrange their homes in such a way as to make walking or crawling safe. No extension cords, a minimum of sharp edges and a minimum of clutter make for a safe environment for any toddler. When possible support the child with swaddling, blankets or towels to provide an upright posture since many hypotonic children have trouble holding themselves erect. If the child is having trouble sitting up provide support by holding them at the rib cage and as they become better able to sit up on their own lower the point of support to the hips if appropriate.

In a similar vein make certain to adequately secure children in high chairs to prevent them from sliding out. Using a non-skid pad is an excellent way to do this. Provide toys that involve some degree of physical effort to attempt to train the child's muscles such as: play doh or putty. In addition provide crayons rather than markers since they require a degree of physical resistance to use. Managing the child's condition entails training their muscles their entire life to provide maximum mobility and independence.

About the Author

There really are no rules that are set in stone when figuring the life expectancy symptoms of someone with Cerebral Palsy. Keep in mind that if your loved one has a severe case, other conditions may arise that can shorten their life with spastic quadriplegia CP. If the condition is typical, however, a life expectancy that is closer to normal can be expected.