Hemiparetic cerebral palsy

Hemiparetic cerebral palsy is one of the most common forms of cerebral palsy. This condition arises due to abnormal fetal development, which leads to brain damage. With this form of cerebral palsy the work of one hemisphere is suffered. Consequently, limbs on one body side are affected. A distinctive feature is that the motor activity of the right sided limbs decreases with the left hemisphere disorder, and the other way round. In severe cases the paralysis may develop, that is, a complete extremities immobilization.

Causes of hemiparetic cerebral palsy

As was already mentioned, the disease development leads to an abnormal prenatal development of the unborn child. It can be interfered by several factors:

• Hypoxia, that is, oxygen defect. Diabetes, placental abruptiont, mother’s hypochromia, hormonal disorders, respiratory diseases, drugs and alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking lead to
• Infections and viruses: hepatitis, syphilis, rubella, cytomegalovirus.
• The effect of drugs that are prohibited across These are tranquilizers, addictive substances, some types of antibiotics, anticonvulsants.
• Hemolytic disease. It occurs in case of child’s and the mother’s blood As a result, the fetal red blood cells are destroyed, and its development is delayed.

Birth injuries cannot be attributed to violations of fetal development, but they can enhance the negative effect of existing deviations.

The risk group includes prematurely born children and children born in multiple pregnancies, etc.

Hemiparetic form: symptoms

Clinical features are divided into early (up to 1 year) and late findings.

Early findings:

• Babinski’s reflex on one of the limbs;
• One arm is bent at the elbow and clenched into a fist;
• Near to 1 year age – an expressed one hand predominance. For example, a child takes a toy with one hand only;
• The child learns to sit with difficulties; falling behind when sitting back or sideways; strabismus;
• Rare findings – equilateral hemianopsia, that is, partial blindness.

Late findings:

• verbal skills development delays, speech disorders;
• learning to read and write with difficulties;
• intellectual abilities are reduced in about 25% of children. As a rule, backwoods mentality is weakly Significant deviations are observed in severe cases;
• gait disturbances;
• limbs on the affected side are poorly developed, quite often they are shorter than healthy ones;
• cerebral seizures;
• convulsions;
• in case of right hemisphere development disorders the child is aggressive, unrestrained.

Diagnosis of hemiparetic cerebral palsy

Physicians conduct neurological examination using the metameric methods of treatment. In the course of communication with parents, a symptomatic picture is collected. The obstetric history, that is, information about gestation course and delivery is very important. For example, the fact that a mother uses drugs is helpful in considering the version of hemiparetic cerebral palsy.

In addition, the following diagnostic measures are carried out:

• Brain MRI;
• Vision and hearing test;
• Head and neck vessels ultrasound test;
• Computer tomography (CT)

Hemiparetic cerebral palsy: treatment

In order to improve motor abilities, massage, physiotherapy (in case of convulsions absence), therapeutic exercises are recommended. These treatments have a positive effect on spasticity, gait, endurance, and balance.

Much attention is paid to the elimination of intellectual lag, if any. Children read books, learn poems, and are involved in certain events discussion. The mental abilities prognosis is favorable if the correct approach applied. Such children are much better educated than, for example, patients with double hemiplegia. We use medicine that saturate the brain with oxygen and improve metabolism.

Metameric treatment methods are very effective. Their essence lies in the local impact on the affected areas. The main method is injection. A small amount of medicine consisting of amino acids and nerve cells is injected under the skin. This method is complemented by a metameric acupressure and metameric pharmaceutical massage. These activities help to improve the condition of the affected limbs, regenerate nervous system and improve brain function.

Metameric treatment method is effective in case of individual therapy planning by an experienced physician. In this case the prognosis is favorable. Among the advantages of this treatment method is its multipurposeness. It can be used to treat patients with both hemiparetic and, for example, spastic and atonic-astatic forms of cerebral palsy.

In a word, hemiparetic cerebral palsy is not a verdict. Treatment requires a lot of efforts from the child and its family. But with a proper approach you can minimize the negative disease development.