Smith

Children with autism have trouble communicating. They have trouble understanding what other people think and feel. This makes it very hard for them to express themselves either with words or through gestures, facial expressions, and touch. A child with AST who is very sensitive maybe greatly troubled sometimes even pained by sounds, touches, smells, or sights that seem normal to others.

Children who are autistic may have repetitive, stereotyped body movements such as rocking, pacing, or hand flapping. They may have unusual responses to people, attachments to objects, resistance to change in their routines, or aggressive or self injurious behavior. At times they may seem not to notice people, objects, or activities in their surroundings. Some children with autism may also develop seizures. And in some cases, though seizures may not occur until adolescence.

Some people with autism are cognitively impaired to a degree. In contrast to more typical cognitive impairment, which is characterized by a relatively even delays in all areas of development, people with autism show uneven skill development area they may have problems in certain areas, especially the ability to communicate and relate to others. But they may have and usually developed skills in other areas, such as drawing, creating music, solving math problems, or memorizing facts. For this reason, they may test higher – – perhaps even in the average or above – average range – – on nonverbal intelligence tests. Symptoms of autism typically appeared during the first three years of life. Some children show signs from birth. Others seem to develop normally at first, only to slip suddenly into symptoms when their 18 to 36 months old. However, it is now recognize that some individuals may not show symptoms of a communication disorder until demands of the environment exceed their capabilities. Autism is four times more common in boys than girls. It knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle, or educational levels do not affect the child's chance of being autistic.

Autism is just one syndrome that now falls under the heading of autism spectrum disorders. Disorders that are now classified as either ASD or a social communication disorder include:

Autistic Disorder:

This is what most people think of when they hear the word autism. It refers to problems with social interactions, communication, and imaginative play in children younger than three years old.

Asperger's Syndrome:

These children do not have a problem with language – – in fact, they tend to score in the average or above – average range on intelligence tests. But they have the same social problems and limited scope of interest as children with autistic disorder.

Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD):

PDD – – also known as atypical autism. This is a kind of catch all category for children who have some autistic behaviors but who don't fit into other categories.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder:

These children develop normally for at least two years and then lose some or most of their communication and social skills. This is an extremely rare disorder and its existence as a separate condition is a matter of debate among many mental health professionals.

Rett syndrome previously fell under ASD spectrum but is now confirmed that Rett's cause is genetic. Children with Rett syndrome, primarily girls, start developing normally but then begin losing their communication and social skills. Beginning at the age of 1 to 4 years, repetitive hand movements replace purposeful use of the hands. Children with Rett syndrome are usually severely cognitively impaired. Because autism runs in families, most researchers think that certain combinations of genes made predispose a child autism. But there are risk factors that increase the chance of a child having autism.

advanced age of the mother or father increases the chance of an autistic child.

when a pregnant woman is exposed to certain drugs or chemicals, or child is more likely to be autistic. These risk factors include the use of alcohol, maternal metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity, and the use of antiseizure drugs during pregnancy. In some cases autism has been linked to untreated phenylketonuria (called PKU, an inborn metabolic disorder caused by the absence of an enzyme) and rubella.

Although sometimes cited as a cause of autism, there is no evidence that vaccinations cause autism.

exactly why autism happens isn't clear. Research suggests that it may arise from abnormalities in parts of the brain that interpret sensory input and process language.

researchers have no evidence that a child's psychological environment – – such as how caregivers treat the child – – causes autism.

About 10,000 infants are diagnosed with CP and up to 1500 preschoolers in the U.S. are recognized as having it each year. The United Cerebral Palsy Association estimates that more than 764,000 Americans have CP.

Between 35 and 50% of all children with CP will have some accompanying seizure disorder and some level of mental retardation. They may also have learning disabilities and vision, speech, hearing, or language problems.

much remains unknown about the disorders cause, what evidence supports theories that infections, Earth injuries, and poor oxygen supply to the brain before, during, and immediately after birth result are common factors. Premature infants are particularly vulnerable. Severe illness (such as meningitis) during the first years of life, physical trauma, and severe dehydration can cause brain injury and result in CP. Congenital cerebral palsy results from brain injury during a babies development in the womb. It is present at birth, although it may not be detected for months. It is responsible for CP in about 70% of the children who have it. An additional 20% are diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy due to a brain injury during the birthing process. In most cases, the cause of congenital cerebral palsy is unknown. Some possible causes are:

Infections During Pregnancy:

These are infections that may damage of fetus' developing nervous system. These include rubella, cytomegalovirus, and toxoplasmosis (an infection caused by a parasite that can be carried in cat feces or can adequately cooked meat). Other infections in pregnant women that may go undetected after being recognized now as an important cause of developmental brain damage in a fetus.

Jaundice:

John this is caused by excessive bilirubin in the blood. Normally, bilirubin is filtered out by the liver. But often, newborns livers need a few days to start doing this effectively, so it is not uncommon for infants to have jaundice for a few days after birth. In most cases, phototherapy (light therapy) clears up jaundice, and there are no lasting health effects. However, in rare cases, severe, untreated jaundice can damage brain cells.

Rh Incompatibility:

Rh incompatibility between mother and infant is a blood condition, the mother's body produces antibodies that destroy the fetus's blood cells. This, in turn, leads to a form of jaundice in the newborn and may cause brain damage.

Physical and Metabolic Trauma:

This can precipitate brain damage in a fetus whose health has not been threatened during development.

Severe Oxygen Deprivationto the brain or significant trauma to the head during labor and delivery.

According to United Cerebral Palsy Association, about 10% of children with CP in the U.S. acquire the disorder after birth. It results from brain damage in the first few months or years of life. CP often follows infections of the brain, such as bacterial meningitis or viral encephalitis, or maybe the result of a head injury.

mothers who had bleeding or severe proteinuria (excess protein in the urine) late in their pregnancy have a higher chance of having a baby with CP, as do mothers who have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, mental retardation, or seizures.

Not all children who are exposed to these risk factors develop CP. However, parents and doctors should be aware of these risks and watch and at risk child's development carefully.

There are many different types of developmental delays in infants and young children. They include problems with:

Language or speech
Vision
Movement--motor skills
Social and Emotional skills
Thinking--cognitive skills

Sometimes, a delay occurs in many or all of these areas. When that happens it's called "global developmental delay". Global developmental delay may occur for any of the following reasons:

A genetic defect, such as Down syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy
Fragile X syndrome, an inherited type of cognitive impairment
Severe medical problems developing soon after birth, often associated with prematurity
Often no cause can be found

What follows are warning signs for different types of delays that may show up from infancy to age 2. You will also learn about some of the causes of developmental delays and potential treatments.
Speech delays in toddlers are common. In fact, language and speech problems are the most common type of developmental delay. Speech refers to verbal expression, including the way words are formed. Language is a broader system of expressing and receiving information, such as being able to understand gestures.

Possible causes come from a variety of problems. There are many different types of developmental delays in infants and young children. They include problems with:

Language or speech
Vision
Movement--motor skills
Social and emotional skills
Thinking--cognitive skills

Sometimes, a delay occurs in many or all of these areas. When that happens it's called "global developmental delay". Global developmental delay may occur for any of the following reasons:

A genetic defect, such as Down syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome, caused by mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy
Fragile X syndrome, an inherited type of cognitive impairment
Severe medical problems developing soon after birth, often associated with prematurity
Often no cause can be found

What follows are warning signs for different types of delays that may show up from infancy to age 2. You will also learn about some of the causes of developmental delays and potential treatments.

A variety of problems may cause language and speech delays, including:

Exposure to more than one language--which can cause mild delays in toddlers but not delays by the time they reach school age
A learning disability
Child abuse or neglect
A problem with the muscles controlling speech--a disorder called dysarthria
Hearing loss, which may occur in children who have severe middle ear infections or occur as a result of certain medications, trauma, or genetic disorders
Autism spectrum disorders--a group of neurological disorders that may involve impaired communication as well as impaired social interaction and cognitive skills

If you or your child's doctor suspect a speech delay problem, seek an evaluation by a speech language pathologist. This specialist may test your child's hearing and use speech therapy with your child.

An electroencephalogram maybe done to:

Diagnose epilepsy and see what type of seizures are occurring. EEG is the most useful and important testing confirming the diagnosis of epilepsy.
Check for problems with loss of consciousness or dementia.
Help find out a person's chance of recovery after a change in consciousness.
Find out if a person who is in a coma is brain-dead.
Study sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy.
Watch brain activity while a person is receiving general anesthesia during brain surgery.
Help find out if a person has a physical problem (problem in the brain, spinal cord, or nervous system) or a mental health problem. Before the day of the electroencephalogram test, tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines. Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain medication (such as sedatives and tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, sleeping aids, or medicines used to treat seizures) before the test. These medicines can affect your brain's usual electrical activity and cause abnormal test results.

Do not eat or drink foods that have caffeine (such as coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate) for 12 hours before the test.

Since the electrodes are attached to your scalp, make sure that your hair is clean and free of sprays, oils, creams, and lotions. Shampoo your hair and rinse with clean water the evening before our the morning of the test. Do not put any hair conditioner or oil on after shampooing.

To find certain types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, you may have to be asleep during the recording. You may be asked not to sleep at all the night before the test or to sleep less (about 4 to 5 hours) by going to bed later and getting up earlier than usual if your child is going to be tested, try to keep him or her from taking naps just before the test. If you know that you're going to have a sleep deprived EEG, plan to have someone drive you to and from the test.

Most children who have a seizure don't have another one.

Most children who have epilepsy--which by definition means that they've had more than one seizure--will outgrow the condition.

Most children with epilepsy are perfectly healthy and normal in other ways.

70% to 80% of children with epilepsy can control the condition completely with medication.

Experts point out that there is no cure for epilepsy and that treating seizures is about controlling them. They also point out that, in children, seizures that are controlled with medication will often go away on their own.

About 400,000 children in the U.S. have epilepsy, and most of them are able to control their seizures and lead normal lives.

That's not to say that dealing with epilepsy is easy, and it will almost certainly change your family. As a parent of a child with epilepsy, you'll have new responsibilities. Obviously, you'll need to make sure that your child is getting good medical care, but there's more to it than that.

You'll have to make sure that your child takes medications. You may also have to become an advocate for your child, explaining epilepsy to family, friends, and teachers who may not understand the condition or be frightened by it.

So while it may be tough being the parent of a child with epilepsy sometimes, just remember that treatment works, and a child with epilepsy should have a pretty normal life with few limitations. Epilepsy is not nearly as scary as it sounds. . Instead, it's a blanket term: a person who has epilepsy has seizures, but the cause and type of those seizures can be very different. Experts point to prostate and breast cancer as an analogy. Both are cancers, but the causes, development, and treatment of those conditions are not the same. There are many different types of epilepsy that may require different kinds of treatments.

Likewise, the impact of epilepsy is a lot more complicated than the results of the medical condition. Experts say that treating epilepsy is more than just treating seizures. With epilepsy, there are psychological and cognitive effects that need to be dealt with, along with the impact on the entire family. But the first thing that you and your doctor must do is stop the seizures, usually with medication. Fortunately, there are many effective epilepsy drugs available. Epilepsy is the occurrence of sporadic electrical storms in the brain commonly called seizures. The storms cause behavioral manifestations (such as staring) or involuntary movements (such as grand mal seizures).

There are several different types of epilepsy, each with different causes, symptoms, and treatments.

When making a diagnosis of epilepsy, your doctor may use one of the following terms: idiopathic, cryptogenic, symptomatic, generalized, vocal, or partial. Idiopathic means that there is no apparent cause. Cryptogenic means there is a likely cause, but has not been identified. Symptomatic means of the causes been identified. Generalized means that the seizures are involving the whole brain at once. Focal or partial means that the seizures start from one area of the brain.

The majority of epileptic seizures are controlled by medication, particularly anticonvulsant drugs. The type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors, including the frequency and severity of the seizures and the person's age, overall health, and medical history. An accurate diagnosis of the type of epilepsy is also critical to choosing the best treatment.

Many drugs are available to treat epilepsy. Although generic drugs are safely used for most medications, anticonvulsants are one category were doctors proceed with caution. Most doctors prefer to use brand named anticonvulsants, but realize that many insurance companies will not cover the cost. As a result, it is acceptable to start taking a generic anticonvulsant medication, but at the desired control is not achieved, the patient should be switch to the brand-name drug.

The choice of drug is most often based on factors like the patient's tolerance of side effects, other illnesses he or she might have, and the medications delivery method. Although the different types of epilepsy vary greatly, in general, medications can control seizures in about 70% of patients.

When it comes to epilepsy, do not seek home remedies. The only way to control epilepsy is through medication.

One version of the kata genic diet provides 4 g of fat for every 1 g of protein and carbohydrate together. People in the kata genic diet have to eat mostly fatty foods, such as butter, cream, and peanut butter. Foods such as bread, pasta, fruits, and vegetables have to be severely limited. And the person's total calories are also restricted. At every meal, the food has to be measured carefully so that the right amounts of each food are given. Even a slight departure from a diet can cancel its effect.

The kata genic diet is very strict and can be hard for some people and families to follow. Other special diets for epilepsy that are less strict may also be tried. A person usually has to fast the day and night before starting the diet. The diet is gradually introduced over several days, so the body can get used to the dramatic change. The person may feel tired and lack energy during the first few days.

Children are usually admitted to the hospital or epilepsy center when they start the diet. There, the child can be watched in parents and caregivers can get training on how to do the diet at home. The candidate diet should always be given under the supervision of a doctor and a dietitian.

When it works, the cottage in a diet works quickly to reduce seizures. People usually start having fewer seizures in 2 to 3 weeks. In 2 to 3 months you'll be able to tell how well itis working.

Children on the catatonic diet had about 1/4th as many seizures as kids who weren't on the diet. So a child who wasn't on the diet had four seizures for everyone seizure that the child on the diet had.

Evidence shows that the kata genic diet works about as well as medicines to control seizures in children. There is less evidence for special diets and adults with epilepsy, what a modified version of the Atkins diet may work as well as the ketogenic diet to control seizures.

Unfortunately, migraines are very common in children. It's been reported in kids as young as 18 months old. About 10% of school-age children suffer from migraines. Half of all migraine sufferers have their first attack before the age of 12. Before puberty, boys suffer from migraines more often than girls area as adolescence approaches, the incidence increases more rapidly in girls than do boys. By the time they turn 17, as many as 8% of boys and 23% of girls have experienced a migraine.

Although we still don't know what causes migraines, a combination of genetic and environmental factors are likely involved. A child who has one parent with migraines has a 50% chance of inheriting it, and if both parents have migraines, the chances rise to 75%. More than half of migraine sufferers have a close relative with the disease. While symptoms of migraines and kids and teens may be different from those typically found in adults, children can be just as disabled. In addition to the attack related disability itself, kids and teens may also develop anticipatory anxiety, worrying that at any time an attack could disrupt their life. It's quite common for kids who suffered to be absent from school and unable to participate in afterschool and weekend activities. In fact, kids who have migraines are absent from school twice as often as kids who don't.

Kids and especially adolescents and teens can also suffer from one of the most disabling types of migraine, chronic migraine (CM). CM occurs when a child has 15 or more headaches per month lasting more than four hours, for more than three months. Many teenagers with CM report daily headaches. Head pain isn't the only symptom of CM--other common symptoms include dizziness, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue. CM is challenging to treat and significantly impairs quality of life.

Very few drugs have been approved for use in children. Children with migraines are often undiagnosed or under-treated, and there are very few headache specialists who will treat them.

A nerve conduction study is done to:

Find damage to the peripheral nervous system, which includes all the nerves that lead away from the brain and spinal cord and the smaller nerves that branch out from those nerves. This test is often used to help find nerve problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome or Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Tell your doctor all the medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. Some medications can affect the test results. You may need to stop taking some medications before you have this test. If you take blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), or aspirin, your doctor will tell you if you should stop taking these medications before you proceed. Make sure that you understand exactly what your doctor wants you to do.

Wear loose fitting clothing so your muscles and nerves can be tested. You may be given a gown to wear.

Since the electrodes are attached to your skin, make sure it is clean and free of sprays, oils, creams, and lotions.

You may be asked to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks of the test and agreed to have it done.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, it's risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. In this test, several flat metal disk electrodes are attached to your skin with tape or a paste. A shock emitting electrode is placed directly over the nerve, and recording electrode is placed over the muscles controlled by that nerve. Several quick electrical pulses are given to the nerve, and the time it takes for the muscle to contract in response to the electrical impulse is recorded. The speed of the responses called the conduction velocity.

The same nerves on the other side of the body may be studied for comparison. When the test is done, the electrodes are removed.

Nerve conduction studies are done before an EMG if both tests are being done. Nerve conduction test may take from 15 minutes to one hour or more, depending on how many nerves and muscles are being studied.

The brain is composed of gray matter (neurons and interconnections) and white matter (axons surrounded by myelin sheath). A motor neuron carries impulses away from the brain.

The brain is self organizing. It selects information to forward its growth and development. It also adapts to the environment. Strands of the environment through the senses of touch, smell, sight, taste and hearing produce connections in the brain.

all neurological disorders involve the brain, spinal column or nerves. Symptoms depend on where damage occurs. Areas that control movement, communication, vision, hearing or thinking can be affected. Neurological disorders are wide ranging. They have various causes, complications and outcomes. Many result in additional needs requiring lifelong management. Symptoms of neurological disorders vary. Physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral symptoms may be present, with specific disorders having combinations or clusters of the symptoms. For example, cerebral palsy tends to have more physical symptoms whereas ADHD tends to have greater effects on behavior.

Many neurologic disorders emerged during the early years of development and may be diagnosed at birth. Some are diagnosed later because symptoms only appear when:

A Child misses developmental milestones or has developmental difficulties (e.g. Autism)

A damaging infection occurs (e.g. meningitis)

An accident causes brain injury (stroke, trauma, hypoxia).

Genetic factors can influence development of a variety of neurological disorders that are typically inherited from parents through genes and chromosomes. Sections of DNA carry the chemical code which makes us who we are. Chromosomes are composed of thousands of genes. A human body cell normally contains 46 (23 pairs) of chromosomes, half inherited from the mother and half inherited from the father.

Neurotoxins can enter and damage a child's developing system through the placenta during fetal development. Consequently a child may develop intellectual and behavioral problems. Neurotoxins include alcohol, led, Mercury, tobacco, and some food additives.

Neutrinos are needed for growth. A deficiency of nutrients during the last three months of pregnancy can decrease the number of brain cells. A deficiency of folic acid (vitamin B) could lead to a neural tube defect (NTD)--for example, spina bifida.

TORCH infections, including sexually-transmitted infections, can be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. As reflected by the letters in the name, TORCH infections include toxoplasmosis, other infections (hepatitis B, syphilis, varicella-Zoster virus, HIV and Parovirus B 19), rubella, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. These infections can cause developmental abnormalities in the unborn child. Chorioamnionitis can be a cause of cerebral palsy.

Perinatal asphyxia is the condition resulting from a lack of oxygen. Hypoxic ischemia is insufficient blood flow causing reduced blood oxygen content. If a developing baby in the uterus does not have enough oxygen than that may have hypoxic ishemic encephalopathy. The effects of severe HIE can include cerebral palsy, intellectual impairments and epilepsy.

the protective skull is not fully formed at birth making the brain vulnerable to physical injury. The supply of blood and oxygen from the umbilical cord can also become affected at birth. As the brain is dependent upon this supply of oxygen, deprivation of oxygen can cause brain damage.

Low birth weight may indicate growth problems in the womb and has been associated with greater likelihood of developing cognitive impairments, speech and language impairments, attention problems, social difficulties, hyperactivity and learning impairments. Some may arise because of associated complications during childbirth.

A number of factors, including heredity, gene expression, the environment, infectious disease, poor nutrition, stress, drugs and other chemicals, can interact in complex ways to cause some neurological disorders.

Praesent vestibulum molestie lacus. Aenean nonummy hendrerit mauris. Fusce suscipit varius mi. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nulla dui. Fusce feugiat malesuada odio. Morbi nunc odio, gravida at, cursus nec, luctus a, lorem. Maecenas tristique orci ac sem. Duis ultricies pharetra magna. Donec accumsan malesuada orci. Donec sit amet eros. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Mauris fermentum dictum magna.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur.

Praesent vestibulum molestie lacus. Aenean nonummy hendrerit mauris. Fusce suscipit varius mi. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nulla dui. Fusce feugiat malesuada odio. Morbi nunc odio, gravida at, cursus nec, luctus a, lorem. Maecenas tristique orci ac sem. Duis ultricies pharetra magna. Donec accumsan malesuada orci. Donec sit amet eros. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Mauris fermentum dictum magna.
Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt.

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur.