Brief description of common complications and causes in children with cerebral palsy

  Recognizing the common complications of cerebral palsy can help to provide more comprehensive treatment and better parental care for the child.  Common complications include: 1. Dysplasia: Difficulties in feeding and swallowing are the main causes of dysplasia. All types of cerebral palsy are caused by damage to the central nervous system, which leads to abnormal innervation of the skeletal muscles related to movement throughout the body.  2. Obesity: Mostly seen in children with hypotonia cerebral palsy, which is caused by the reduction of the child’s movement due to low tone.  Constipation: Most children with hypotonic cerebral palsy are constipated. The low amount of movement and the relaxation of the abdominal wall cause the bowel movement to be weakened and slow, which is the main cause of constipation.  4. Gastroesophageal reflux: Mostly caused by swallowing disorder and cardia dysplasia.  5.Salivation: It is related to the swallowing disorder caused by the impaired function of masticatory muscle.  6.Dental caries: The common cause is the damage to teeth caused by food residue and abnormal occlusal relationship due to swallowing difficulty, but the application of some anti-spasmodic drugs may also lead to the production or aggravation of dental caries.  7.Pulmonary complications: The common ones are pneumonia, BPD (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), and fine bronchitis/asthma. Pneumonia and fine bronchitis/asthma are mostly caused by the decrease of respiratory self-purification ability caused by the restriction of respiratory function due to respiratory muscle dysfunction.