Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Growth Impairments
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy Growth Impairments

Failure to Thrive
For for some children with Cerebral Palsy eating, which individuals who are not impaired take for granted, is a difficult and most challenging task. It is especially difficult for those that have pseudobulpar palsy which affects the muscles of their tongue and mouth. It interferes with the normal coordination of chewing and swallowing. Many children affected by pseudobulpar palsy will also have tongue thrust and tonic bite which means that when something is introduced inside the mouth, the jaw clamps shut and the tongue pushes the food out instead of bringing it in and back towards the throat.

Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy

The result of the difficulties in eating is often a condition known as "failure to thrive" which is applied to children whose current weight or rate of weight gain is significantly below that of other children of similar age and sex. Pediatricians and other health care professionals use graphs on which the height and weight are plotted showing where a child is in comparison to others at their age.

Diagnosing and treating a child who fails to thrive focuses on identifying any underlying problem and promoting weight gain. From there, doctors and the family work together to get the child back into a healthy growth pattern.

Giving the child foods high in both nutritional and caloric content can improve and reverse this condition. Prolonged lack on nourishment is detrimental to the proper growth of someone with Cerebral Palsy just as it is for an individual who is not impaired. If failure to thrive is prolonged, the effects may be long lasting, and normal growth and development may not be achieved.

It can take a great deal of time and patience to feed a child who can not feed themselves and who has so much difficulty with the coordination of eating. It can put strain on the caregivers. It is often recommended that if a child does not begin to show improvement and growth that tube feeding be considered.

Although it is far less frequent, failure to thrive can also be caused by damage to the part of the brain responsible for the creation and release of growth hormone.

Muscle Growth
For children with spastic Cerebral Palsy, delayed muscle growth and spasticity cause their leg muscles to be short, and as a result the range of motion can decrease as a child grows and the joints become stiff. The feet and ankles present more problems than the knees due to a short tight Achilles tendon, which can lead to toe walking.

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Associated Conditions of Cerebral Palsy: Hearing, Depression, Breathing Problems,
Drooling, ADHD, ADD, Bowel issues, Swallowing, Epilepsy, Speech Problems.