Treatment of cerebral palsy in premature infants
Release time : 01/18/2025 18:13:27
The causes of cerebral palsy in preterm infants are numerous and varied, so it is not feasible to simply "prescribe medication" for treating cerebral palsy in preterm infants. Given the somewhat unfamiliar nature of cerebral palsy in preterm infants, let us discuss some relevant knowledge on this topic.
Premature Infant Cerebral Palsy is a complex condition that often results from a variety of causes, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.
It is also difficult to treat them as other diseases, and according to the current medical development, the treatment of preterm cerebral palsy mainly adopts conservative treatment. Because preterm cerebral palsy often has multiple causes, it is often difficult to "treat the symptoms". Nowadays, there are three main treatments for preterm cerebral palsy: pharmacotherapy, comprehensive rehabilitation therapy, and neurotargeted repair technology. Although the three treatments have different focuses, they can all improve the symptoms of cerebral palsy in some way.
Now let's try to understand the three methods of treating preterm infant cerebral palsy.
Pharmacological Therapy: Brain nerve nutrition drugs, muscle relaxants, blood circulation drugs, etc.
Medications that include building and repairing brain tissue (cells) such as phosphatidylcholine (including phospholipids, brain phospholipids, and sphingomyelin), can repair damage to the cell membrane of brain cells caused by traumatic injury, bleeding, or hypoxia, protect neuronal cells, accelerate nerve excitation transmission, and improve learning and memory functions.
Comprehensive rehabilitation medicine encompasses physical therapy, which includes training in gross motor skills (such as crawling, purposeful pointing (nose, ear, etc.), grasping objects with hands and feet, sitting up, rocking, walking against a wall or standing facing a wall), stationary movements (crawling to pick up objects, lifting legs, single-leg stand, jumping without support), and running. Physical therapy also includes neurophysiological stimulation therapy, warm therapy, and hydrotherapy. Additionally, occupational therapy, which involves specialized hospital or clinic services available in urban areas, is an option for those with economic means. Although the effectiveness of these treatments varies, they are widely available.
Neural Targeted Regeneration Technique: Through targeted regenerative therapy, nerve growth factors are applied through intervention to the damaged area.
Activate the quiescent nerve cells, realize the self-differentiation and regeneration of nerve cells, and replace the damaged and dead nerve cells, rebuilding the neural circuits and promoting the redevelopment of organs.
Abnormalities in the symptoms of preterm infants with cerebral palsy are often manifested in the abnormalities of their limbs.
Premature infant cerebral palsy, refers to the syndrome that occurs during the neonatal period or infancy after birth due to non-progressive brain injury.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy in preterm infants are usually easily detectable because the behavior of these infants is quite abnormal and significantly different from that of normal infants.
In simple terms, preterm infant cerebral palsy primarily manifests as central motor disorders and postural abnormalities. Concurrently, it often presents with varying degrees of intellectual disabilities, visual, auditory, language, behavioral, emotional, psychological, and other impairments.
In the early stages, differences between premature infants with cerebral palsy and normal babies can usually be identified. Typically, children with cerebral palsy exhibit varying degrees of motor dysfunction, with some being flaccid and unable to sit up or stand.
Some children are stiff and unable to walk.
Cerebral palsy, a syndrome characterized by non-progressive cerebral injury during the developmental period of the first month after birth, mainly manifests as central motor disorders and posture abnormalities.
May also be accompanied by intellectual disability, seizures, behavioral abnormalities, or sensory and motor deficits, and it is necessary to exclude developmental disorders that cause central paralysis in normal children and transient developmental delays.
Such children often cannot live independently as adults, and cerebral palsy is often accompanied by multiple aspects of physical developmental disorders, such as intellectual disabilities, visual, auditory, dental, and other developmental issues.
The causes of cerebral palsy in premature infants are generally multifactorial, making it difficult to pinpoint a single cause.
It is known that any harmful factors affecting the normal formation of the fetal brain during the first three months of pregnancy can lead to cerebral palsy.
Cardiopulmonary diseases, sepsis, hyponatremia, and nutritional deficiencies in pregnant women are also high-risk factors for the development of preterm birth with cerebral palsy in the fetus.
Therefore, the causes of preterm birth can be diverse. This is why in the treatment of cerebral palsy infants, generally a generalized approach is adopted, rather than targeted treatment based on the cause.
The pathogenesis of prematurity cerebral palsy is brain tissue hypoxia, ischemia, injury and poisoning, which are also the basic reasons of cerebral palsy.
The pathological changes primarily involve the degeneration and necrosis of neuronal cells in the cerebral cortex, softening of brain tissue, and fibrosis.
When analyzing preterm infant cerebral palsy, we often start with the pathogenesis or symptoms of the condition, as it is difficult to identify the underlying causes.
Premature Infant Cerebral Palsy: A Devastating Sorrow for Families. The treatment of premature infant cerebral palsy is a demanding task that requires significant emotional and financial resources.
The current treatment goal for preterm infants with cerebral palsy is to restore the child's social function and improve their quality of life, enabling them to live independently in the future.
As for the question of whether complete cure is possible for preterm infants with cerebral palsy, the answer seems to always be "no," because although there are many treatment methods available for preterm infants with cerebral palsy, achieving complete recovery is still not possible.
The methods of rehabilitation training for preterm infants with cerebral palsy vary, resulting in different outcomes and recovery extents.
However, the treatment of preterm infants with cerebral palsy is primarily aimed at enabling their behavior to resemble that of a typical child and enabling them to take care of themselves. However, there is no cure in this regard, and generally, the treatment for preterm infants with cerebral palsy merely improves their condition.
However, if preterm infant cerebral palsy is detected earlier and effective treatment is administered promptly to the preterm infant with cerebral palsy, the outcomes are usually optimal.
Although it cannot fully restore to normalcy, it has significantly enhanced the life capabilities of children with cerebral palsy.
How to Prevent Premature Infant Cerebral Palsy Premature infant cerebral palsy can be a tremendous setback for a family. It is considered a double blow to both the spirit and finances of a family. To avoid having a premature infant with cerebral palsy, what are some effective prevention methods? Generally speaking, the birth of premature infant cerebral palsy is related to both parents. Therefore, it is imperative that both parents learn some knowledge about childbirth before the baby's birth. This includes practicing premarital health: providing guidance on sexual hygiene, childbirth, and genetic diseases to couples planning to get married.
Consultations regarding matrimony, childbearing, and other related issues, as well as medical examinations for potential diseases affecting marriage and reproduction in both men and women, along with medical advice.
Optimize Prenatal Care: Regular Prenatal Check-ups.
To increase nutrition.
To prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases.
During the perinatal period, it is crucial to prevent premature birth and the birth of low-birth-weight infants, avoid apnea and intracranial hemorrhage, and manage hyperbilirubinemia.
After the child is born, it is important to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases, prevent the onset of hyperpyrexia seizures, and correctly handle lumbar puncture.
In terms of preventing infectious diseases, it is crucial to pay special attention to the skin of newborns, maintain the dryness and cleanliness of the umbilical stump, closely monitor changes in jaundice, and persist with breastfeeding. This is because breast milk can be regarded as the first line of defense against infection for infants.
*The medical information provided in this text is for reference only.
In cases of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately for accurate diagnosis and treatment.