Managing common symptoms of cerebral palsy in children

Summary points

• Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement and posture secondary to abnormal muscle tone, spasticity being the most common abnormality of tone

• The majority of cerebral palsy is not related to birth asphyxia

• Cerebral palsy is most reliably diagnosed by assessing general movements and neurological examination

• The management of spasticity includes physiotherapy, orthotics, botulinum toxin injections, oral drugs, and surgery (orthopaedic and neurosurgical)

• Cerebral palsy is often accompanied by disturbances in sensation, cognition, communication, behaviour, and epilepsy, which should be looked for continuously, as these problems may be more functionally disabling than the motor problems

• Cerebral palsy is a chronic condition with no cure and as such the overall goal of treatment is to improve quality of life and participation in life situations

• Pain is a common problem and is increasingly recognised as a major determinant of quality of life

• Most children with cerebral palsy have the potential to gain a similar quality of life to their peers and this should guide social and educational policy to ensure that children with disability participate fully in society