Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain that may occur before or after birth, though the latter tends to be a smaller percentage of the causes of the condition. The main damage is thought to occur before the birth in the formative months of the child's development. One or more parts of the brain may be damaged and the main consequence is that motor functions are interfered with in one way or another. The conditions of the disease appear early in life and they can be easily detected by the caregiver or the doctor that is in charge of the child's care. The main way that the disease or condition can be diagnosed is if the child has difficulty in controlling or coordinating their movements in one way or another. The movements like reaching for things, rolling over and so on that should come naturally to a child could be interfered with in one way or another and this could be an indication of brain damage.
There are several ways the disease can be diagnosed and handled if the issue involves simple movement disabilities. On the other hand, if the condition is severe then the child may need specialized equipment to help not only in movement but also in simple normal functions such as breathing and so on. Learning disabilities, bladder and bowel control movements could be affected by Cerebral Palsy as well as breathing. Skeletal deformities are also common as are dental complications. The latter may occur due to the child's in ability to brush their own teeth because of poor muscle development. Digestive problems as well as eating disorders are known to affect children suffering with Cerebral Palsy. As such they need to be well supervised as far as their nutrition is concerned in order to ensure they continue to develop as normally as possible for their age group and condition.
Diplegic cerebral palsy affects the legs and arms in the children. It causes sparsity, difficulty in balance and co-ordination of the limbs. Delayed muscle growth, decreased range of motion and stiff joints are also caused by this condition. Another issue that may occur is a poorly formed Achilles tendon. This muscle forms as it should but in most cases, it tends to be too short to serve the body appropriately. As a result, the child is forced to tip toe and this in turn could have an adverse effect on the hips. Such a child should have their hips monitored closely to ensure that no damage occurs and that they are able to maintain movement easily and adequately enough. Any child that has been diagnosed with this condition needs to be given special care especially if the condition is of a more severe nature. If it is mild, the child can be taught on how to perform several functions like eating on their own. This gives the child a certain level of freedom and as the muscles are being exercised, they can be strengthened.