Mike was born in US. Rima and Vincent were employed and settled in
US and Mike was their first child. During the last trimester, Rima had fever
and developed hypertension. It became a high risk pregnancy as the baby
swallowed his own stools. Doctors performed an emergency C-section and
delivered the baby. Birth cry was not registered and Mike was kept in incubator.
He was given due care by the doctors and in a week’s time everything was
brought under control and the baby was found ok to be discharged. All became
normal and life went well.
When Mike was about to cross his first
year, his mom noticed that while Mike was smiling and making sounds, he was not
using his hands properly. His hands were found to be stiff and Mike always kept
his hands tight towards his body. It was also noticed that instead of crawling,
Mike was moving both legs together at the same time (rabbit hopping). When mom
tried to make him walk with support, he stood on his toes and took steps with
crossed legs. His head was mostly bent forward and inappropriate movements were
noticed.
Rima took him to the doctor and Mike was
diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy. It’s a neurological disorder that occurs
as a result of damage to the brain during or before the time of delivery. It impairs muscle coordination and body
movement. Doctor suggested physiotherapy
for Mike and he was started on therapy immediately. Within a period of 8-9
months remarkable difference was noticed in head control and Mike started
walking independently with braces. Now,
he is 3 years old and he has learnt to relax his hands and is gradually
improving on hand movements.
Early diagnosis and treatment of cerebral
palsy can make great improvement in children.
Early intervention helps in improving their functional stability and
muscle strength making them more independent.
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