British News Agency

Explaining that Cerebral Palsy is short for CP and means "brain paralysis," Dr. Tufan Hiçdönmez said, "In international terminology, Cerebral Palsy is often referred to as CP. In children, some adverse conditions before birth, complications during childbirth, and adverse events in the early postnatal period cause structural damage to the developing brain, leading to the development of Cerebral Palsy. In other words, premature and underdeveloped babies pose a risk for Cerebral Palsy or brain paralysis."

Dr. Tufan Hiçdönmez continued, "Bleeding and oxygen deprivation in premature and low birth weight newborns lead to various brain disorders in the baby. These represent permanent structural damage in the baby's brain." He further stated:

"These brain injuries can affect the baby's mental and motor development. Delays in mental development can occur. For example, developmental delays like delayed speech, inability to hold the head up, crawling, and walking begin to attract attention. In Cerebral Palsy, the brain, which develops and functions normally to some extent, eventually loses its controlling effect on the spinal cord. Muscles become irregular and excessively tense. This condition, known as spasticity, becomes pronounced in children with Cerebral Palsy within a few years and progresses. Therefore, early recognition of developing spasticity, evaluation of symptoms such as muscle contractions and stiffness in the arms and legs, and initiation of physiotherapy in the early phase are important."

Dr. Hiçdönmez emphasized that there is currently no known cure for Cerebral Palsy and said, "The focus should be on preventing factors that can cause Cere bral Palsy. The improvement of care conditions for premature and very low birth weight newborns is crucial. Essentially, starting and maintaining treatments to address the spasticity caused by Cerebral Palsy is of great importance. The most effective treatment for spasticity is physiotherapy. In this therapy process, the family plays a crucial role. It is the family's responsibility to mobilize the child's muscles and continue the rules of physiotherapy at home. In addition, there are various surgical procedures in orthopedics, such as botulinum toxin injections into the muscles, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgeries, and the implantation of muscle relaxant medications like baclofen pumps to reduce muscle contractions and enhance the effectiveness of physiotherapy."