A Case of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella like term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time.

Magnitude of problem

According to The United Cerebral Palsy Association that more than 500,000 Americans are affected. In India, the frequency of Cerebral Palsy is 2 per 100 live births (Gai).

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

• Prematurity
• In utero disorders
• Neonatal jaundice
• Birth trauma
• Perinatal asphyxia

MATERNAL CAUSES

Consanguinity Diseases in antenatal period Delivery forceps Cause not known

Clinical Presentation

Slow development of milestones such as head holding, learning to roll over, sit, crawl, standing and walking

CAUSES IN NATAL PERIOD

Mode of presentation in a case of cerebral palsy

• Mental retardation
• Delayed developmental disorders
• Paralysis
• Speech delay
• Drooling
• Hyperactive
• Movement disorder

Diagnosis

Cerebral Palsy can rarely be diagnosed with certainty during early infancy, and specific syndromes often cannot be characterized until age 2.

Homeopathic concept

The Syphilitic miasm is the main cause for the development of Cerebral Palsy. The miasmatic predominance in both parents accounts for the tendency for genetic defects. The miasmatic influence run in the families of both parents. The syphilitic miasm disturb the metabolism of the higher centers to produce deficient growth from brain to bone and blood.

Kent’s view

“It is impossible to get the symptoms and wants of a child especially in an infant except by interpreting its Gestures”.

Boger’s view

“Objective phenomena being the least deceptive, by their great utility have contributed much to the brilliant success of Homoeopathy, particularly in the diseases of children”

The Case

Baby ‘A’ aged 5y.8m, was brought to my clinic on 16/10/2000 with the following presentations -

• Child is calm, shy natured
• Anemic, thin built, under nourished
• Can speak few words, not clear
• No bowel control
• Dependent , no interaction with peer group
• Timidity, lack of attention, Fear
• Sitting difficulty, Standing difficult , Walking impossible.
• Squint, increased movement Of eye balls
• Can recognize parents and few family members
• Sensitive to dampness

Maternal / History :

• Delivery: hospital normal
• Delivery, full term, low birth weight

B /H: Cry delayed (5M)

Examination

• Mental age: 1.8y–
• Chronological age :5.2Y
• IQ: 34 %
• DIA:SDDMD(CP)
• Treatment History: modern medicine :3Y
• Physiotherapy: from the age of 7th month
• Vaccinations Taken
• Weight: 11 kgs, height:3.2″
• Spasticity of limbs, tone increased
• Gait: imbalance

Calc-phos was selected on the basis of above symptoms as child was not in position to express her symptoms, only
on objective symptoms were considered. (Kent, Boericke, Murphy)

17/10/2001 – Calc phos 200C, 3 doses were given.

21/11/2001 – Not much change, Calc phos 200 3 doses repeated

31/02/02 – Not able to stand with support, able to sit for few minutes,
Concentration k
P oor memory, not able walk with support, speech no change,

Calc pos 1M, 1 dose was given followed by Sac Lac for 1 month,

12/03/02 : Standing with support for 5m, able to sit for half an hour, concentration k
Not able walk with support, speech no change

Tuberculinum 1M was given, SL for 2 months

1/07/02: Walking with support, able to talk few words, fear of falling timidity, Calc-phos 10M 1 dose, 45 days SL was given.

3/12/02 : Speech: satisfactory, clarity was less, grasping : better, getting up with support, walking with support,

Calc-phos 10M 3 doses were given, sl for 2months was given.

Child was brought after 5 months as they lived 600km away from Hyderabad.

12/06/03 – Weight: 16kgs, standing for 30 minutes without support, sitting for hours, talking with clarity, with breaks, Tuberculinum 1M was given along with SL for 60 days .

11/09/03 – Able to stand without support Improvement 90%

The child has had no complaints since then.

Reference:

1) Behrman, Klieg man, Jenson, Nelson, Text book of Pediatrics, 16th ed, Harcourt Asia Pvt. Ltd .
2) Ghai.O.P, Essential Pediatrics, Inter print.
3) Foubister .D. M, Homeopathic Prescribing in Childhood, vol ixvi no 1, 1951, Jul, the Homoeopathic Recorder.
4) Tirthankar Data, Principles of Pediatrics, New Central book agency (p) ltd, Calcutta- 700009-1998
5) George E Dienst, The Child, the Homoeopathic Herald by Bose N C. Vol: 1941, Aug Vol no 6
6) Prashant Shah, A Spastic Child, Vol: 1999 Apr /Jun Vol 12 no 2
7) Horst Hauptman, The Significance of Signs, 1992 Sept / Dec, Vol 5, no3
Subrata Kumar Banerjea, Miasmatic Diagnosis, B.Jain publishers (p) ltd, New Delhi.
9) Viswanath.J & Desai.A.B, Achars Text Book of Pediatrics, 3rd edition—Orient Long
(New line)10) Frontiers in Pediatric Neurology, Vol V, Oct -2001

G. R. Mohan

Dr. G.R. Mohan M D (Hom) PG dip (Env Stud) is Principal, Devs Homoeopathic Medical College, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is Visiting Professor at Vinayaka Mission"™s Homoeopathic Medical College, Salem, Tamil Nadu.Dr.Mohan and Director of a Multi-specialty Homoeopathic Research Center at Hyderabad. Dr. Mohan is Principal Investigator for Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy for Extra-mural Research Project. His numerous research papers have been published internationally. He is author of Wonders of Homoeopathy an Evidenced Based Study.