What Other Major Problems are Associated with Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy
Poor control of the muscles of the throat, mouth and tongue sometimes leads to drooling. Drooling can cause severe skin irritation and, because it is socially unacceptable, can lead to further isolation of affected children from their peers.
Difficulty with eating and swallowing -- also triggered by motor problems in the mouth -- can cause poor nutrition. Poor nutrition in turn, may make the individual more vulnerable to infections and cause or aggravate "failure to thrive" -- a lag in growth and development that is common among those with cerebral palsy.
A common complication is incontinence, caused by faulty control over the muscles that keep the bladder closed. Incontinence can take the form of bed-wetting, uncontrolled urination during physical activities or slow leaking of urine from the bladder.