Misconceptions about the treatment of pediatric cerebral palsy

  Pediatric cerebral palsy is manifested by motor dysfunction during the development of the child, which may be accompanied by abnormalities in audio-visual sensory, behavioral, and intellectual abilities. However, clinical practice proves that due to the plasticity of immature brain tissue in children, as their nervous system continues to develop and the myelination of nerve fibers continues to improve, motor dysfunction and other concomitant dysfunctions caused by brain injury can be completely improved or even approach normal if early intervention is possible. This requires close cooperation between medical personnel and parents to grasp the abnormal signs of high-risk newborns in time for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.  Myth 1 Some parents simply think that their child is young and weak, is it a cold? Is it bad digestion? Is the child infected with other diseases?  Misconception two parents of premature babies see the child roll over, lying down, sitting, standing, walking and other motor development than other normal children of the same age, often simply think that the cause of premature birth, the child will slowly recover with the natural growth and development, often take a “wait and see, wait” attitude.  Misconception 3 When parents find that their child has an abnormal posture in sports, they often think that the child’s bones and muscles have problems, and miss the opportunity to seek medical attention.  Misconception 4: Once a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, parents are often the first to blindly seek medical help, hoping that the child’s motor malfunction can be relieved through conventional “injections and medication”.  Myth 5: Parents place their hope for a “cure” on surgery, but neglect post-operative rehabilitation, resulting in the lack of significant improvement or “relapse” of some children.  Some parents of children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy simply hope for functional training, orthopedic devices and other non-invasive treatments for their children, but ignore the adverse effects caused by the high level of long-term muscle spasticity commonly found in children with cerebral palsy, delaying the opportunity for further functional improvement.  Because of the damage to the brain tissue of the child, rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy is a lifelong process. Regardless of which means of treatment is used, it is an integral part of comprehensive rehabilitation. Both parents and medical professionals should develop the concept of comprehensive rehabilitation. We hope that more parents and medical professionals can get out of the misunderstanding of cerebral palsy treatment, so that children with cerebral palsy can be treated early, reduce the obstacles, live independently and return to school.