“While we are not able to restore the child to normal health, we can improve their outcomes and offer the child a better life,” said Dr Khattab, suggesting that early treatment can help prevent muscle cramps and subsequent bone and joint deformities associated with cerebral palsy that typically occur beyond the age of 2-3 years.

Treatment for cerebral palsy usually involves a team of health professionals with different areas of expertise such as rehabilitation physicians, neurologists, orthopaedists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, in addition to audiologists and special education teachers.

“The active and continuous involvement of the family in a patient’s treatment contributes considerably to improving the patient’s outcomes. It may take several months before reporting the final diagnosis, particularly in those cerebral palsy cases happening during pregnancy or directly after birth, as spasticity (unusual tightness, stiffness or pull of muscles) and athetosis (abnormal muscle contractions causing involuntary writhing movements) may not appear before the end of the first year of the baby’s life, while the appearance of ataxia (lack of muscle control during voluntary movements) may be delayed for longer than that,” he pointed out. 

Dr Khattab further indicated that delay in determining final diagnosis of cerebral palsy is advisable, while putting the child in a comprehensive rehabilitation programme and involving the parents in the process through description of the symptoms and causes of the child’s case.

He added that the comprehensive rehabilitation programme, particularly physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech training, can be repeated at home by parents with the aim of improving the child’s muscle functions and help him/her do some voluntary body movements.

About two to three children out of every 1,000 worldwide have cerebral palsy, which is a non-progressive (static) disorder of motor function and movement that usually manifests early in life as a result of central nervous system damage to the developing brain.

“Medical development in the field of obstetrics and high critical care of babies during prenatal, neonatal and early postnatal period has led to less deaths in multiple pregnancy cases, among premature babies (less than 36 weeks) and in low birth-weight babies (less than 2.5kg). These categories of babies total about 10% of cerebral palsy cases worldwide,” he said.

Dr Khattab explained that other factors that cause cerebral palsy may occur during pregnancy or birth. “Such factors include birth asphyxia, trauma, stroke or infection during the first two years of a child’s life, leading to motor or intellectual disability which may last a lifetime,” he said, emphasising that cerebral palsy has slow therapeutic outcomes and may be associated with mental retardation, seizures, speech difficulties and visual or auditory impairments.

He stressed that the digestive system may be affected with an impairment that leads to a change in growth. “Despite all these disabilities and difficulties, however, the children with CP could be significantly supported.”