Cerebral palsy, or “CP,” isone of the most common birth injuriesin America. The term actually describes a combination of several different types of身体和发育性脑部疾病这可能发生在子宫，分娩期间，或者在孩子出生后不久。

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for cerebral palsy. Itseffects are permanent和will last the duration of the child’s life, unless the future holds significant medical breakthroughs.

However,therapy, assistance, adaptive care and supportcan make a real difference in allowing a child with CP to achieve their maximum potential. Some children with less-severe cases of cerebral palsy may be able to lead a fairly normal life with only minor health issues and some problems with mobility. On the other hand, the most severe cases of cerebral palsy will necessitate constant care for the person’s lifetime.

脑瘫对每个人的影响都不同。癫痫发作，控制身体运动和姿势的问题，麻痹和痉挛are common symptoms. CP sometimes causes issues with intellectual development, though cerebral palsy has no effect on the intelligence of many people with the condition.

是什么原因导致我孩子的脑瘫？

If your child has been diagnosed with CP, it’s understandable that you might ask yourself how it happened. Cerebral palsy has a number of potential causes. They include:

• 由于缺氧引起的脑损伤– Known medically as “hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy,” brain damage caused by low oxygen can occur if the fetus gets insufficient oxygen during the delivery process. This frequently occurs when the umbilical cord is wrapped around the child’s neck. Preeclampsia or placental abruption can also cause reduced oxygen flow to the baby during labor and delivery.

• Infection during pregnancy- 如果母亲在怀孕期间出现某些类型的感染，则可能会影响孩子的大脑和神经系统的发展，从而导致脑瘫。可能导致CP的感染的例子包括巨细胞病毒，风疹和弓形虫病。

• Jaundice that goes untreated– Brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can result from severe jaundice that is not properly treated.

• 母亲的身体“拒绝”婴儿- 在某些情况下，母亲与婴儿之间的RH不兼容会导致母亲的免疫系统拒绝胎儿并将其作为异物攻击。这种血液状况会导致黄疸会导致脑损伤，包括脑瘫。

• Prolonged labor– If medical professionals fail to property handle a difficult delivery – including failing to order an emergency Caesarian section – it may cause damage to the baby’s brain cells that can lead to cerebral palsy.

• Bleeding inside the baby’s skull——一个婴儿的大脑会损害brai出血n cells and cause cerebral palsy. This may be the result of an external trauma (blow to the head) or overly aggressive use of medical instruments such as forceps and vacuum extractors.

• Overuse of Pitocin– Excessive use of the labor-inducing drug Pitocin is believed to contribute to cerebral palsy.

• Stroke– If the mother or baby suffers a stroke during pregnancy, labor or delivery, this may cause the baby to develop CP. Mothers who have coagulation (clotting) disorders face a greater risk of stroke during pregnancy.

• 头部受伤- 瀑布，汽车事故，摇晃的婴儿综合症和其他形式的虐待儿童可能会损害婴儿的大脑，从而导致脑瘫。

• Infections in the brain- 如果新生儿，婴儿或幼儿会出现某些脑部感染（例如脑膜炎或脑炎），则可能导致永久性的脑损伤和CP。

• Mother’s abuse of drugs or alcohol- 如果胎儿在子宫中暴露于药物，酒精或其他有毒物质中，则可能导致脑损伤，包括CP。婴儿容易受到胎儿酒精综合征的影响以及与药物和化学暴露有关的其他疾病。

CP会影响身体的许多不同部位以及许多不同的系统 - 无论是物理和认知。Children with cerebral palsy often need a comprehensive treatment planthat addresses all of their issues.

某些可能参与的医疗专业人员in developing and carrying out a CP treatment plan include:

• 儿科医生
• Physical therapists
• Orthopedists
• 神经科医生
• Speech therapists
• Mental health professionals
• 社会工作者

脑瘫治疗计划通常有多个目标，例如minimizing pain,improving communication,relaxing overactive muscles,improving motor function和treating other related health issues.

SomeCP患者的常见治疗包括：

• Medicineto control seizures
• Injections减轻痉挛并减轻疼痛
• Relaxation training, medication, and therapeutic massage to relieve pain
• 职业治疗to teach essential life skills
• 语言和语音疗法以改善沟通，减少吞咽和咀嚼问题，并减少流口水
• Therapy and medication toimprove continence
• Surgical proceduresto relieve overactive muscles and twitching
• Bisphosphonates to increase bone mineral density在无法行走的患者中
• 牙套to improve motor function
• Wheelchairs, walkers and otherassistive medical devices

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Additional Resources

• The Best and Worst States for Living with Cerebral Palsy
• How to Cope with Your Child’s Cerebral Palsy
• 危险药物：查看药物损害的法律责任

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