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