Would this be considered cerebral palsy?
My son has hypotonia (floppy/low muscle tone), behind in milestones, dysphagia (severe trouble swallowing solids regardless of size. Will forget the food is in his mouth.), macrocephaly (large head), GERD, reflux, chronic constipation (requires daily laxative), severe milk protein allergy (vomited blood 1x so now drinks feeding tube formula) and seizures. An MRI revealed moderate brain atrophy (shrinking) on both sides of his head, about mid-ear height and up, and some mild atrophy on the upper left forehead area. From my research it appears to be where the motor cortex is located.
When asked what caused it, the doctor shrugged and said “birth”. The only difference between his c-section and my 3 others was he had some fluid left in his lungs after birth. That can happen with a c-section though. He did have a choking incident on day two in which he choked on his vomit and couldn’t breathe for 1-2 minutes (due to the severe milk protein allergy, and GERD. And yes I was nursing him.). Nurse couldn’t get him to breathe, had to take him to the nursery to clear his airway. Nothing more was mentioned, so I really don’t know how long he was choking. I would have thought that if it had been “brain damage” serious they would have told me. Nothing was done about the cause of the vomiting. I got him diagnosed at 2.5 weeks at the pediatric gastro’s office. The doctor doesn’t think the atrophy will get worse. He seems to interact fine and babble a lot, but it’s his body that doesn’t seem to be working correctly.
So far all the tests have come back normal. He has been tested for metabolic diseases, micro deletions on DNA, thyroid, etc. I’m getting the sense that they don’t want to say what it is. Just like the time I got hurt in the car accident, and I had trouble getting a diagnosis. He has no facial characteristics typical of any of the trisomy defects (like Down’s etc.)
The neurologist said the hypotonia, dysphagia, chronic constipation, delayed gastic emptying, delayed milestones, and seizures could all be caused by the brain atrophy. The GERD, and reflux he feels is separate.
Any feedback, hints are appreciated.
3 Responses to “Would this be considered cerebral palsy?”
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November 12th, 2011 at 7:30 am
Well, cerebral palsy is a motor disability. It is important u do physiotherapy to him to prevent contractures. The doctor can teach u how to do it at home. It is important to control the seizures too. If u have more questions, u will find me at:
http://www.bitwine.com/advisors/dr_ahmad
November 12th, 2011 at 7:50 am
you should call shriners hospitals for children,I am sure someone can give you more of a shrug…..thats pathetic
November 12th, 2011 at 8:38 am
Hello James,
My advice is to schedule an appointment with a neurologist and a genealogist to pinpoint your son’s exact condition. My son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age of two. Unfortunately, the same symptoms that you just described as far as being hypotonic, macrocephaly, seizures, troubles with bowel movement and being overall developmentally delayed, mirrors my son’s condition. After my son’s diagnosis, I asked his doctor what might have caused his condition and was told the exact same thing “birth.”I took care of myself during my pregnancy; I did everything to ensure the health of my son before his birth. I just honestly think that there is a lack of knowledge about the origins of the condition, unless there was an obvious incident that can be sited as to the cause of the condition. We as parents ALWAYS attempt to blame ourselves for tragic situations such as this, but the fact of the matter is that unless there was abuse or an accident involved, there will more than likely not be an explanation that is satisfactory. There’s no need to blame yourself! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that 1 in 278 American children have Cerebral Palsy. By definition, Cerebral Palsy is defined as: a problem in the brain that affects a child’s ability to control his or her muscles. Problems in different parts of the brain cause problems in different parts of the body. There are many possible causes of problems, such as genetic conditions, problems with the blood supply to the brain before birth, infections, bleeding in the brain, lack of oxygen, severe jaundice, and head injury. I’m not sure of how old your child is as of right now, but my son is now 11 years old and is the light of my life! With therapy, unconditional love and support, your son will prosper. I wish your family the best of luck!