Patient's question:
My child is one year and ten months old. They can walk but cannot talk or use the toilet independently. It seems they don't understand others well when they speak. They were diagnosed with moderate developmental delay at your hospital's rehabilitation center. However, my neighbors say it's okay, just that they are developing a bit slower, and it's no big deal.Doctor's answer:
Cerebral palsy is a complex and diverse condition with varying clinical manifestations, primarily classified into spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, mixed, and other types. Children with cerebral palsy do not necessarily have intellectual disabilities; they often exhibit motor dysfunction and postural abnormalities. The main causes include premature birth, hypoxia and asphyxia, jaundice, poisoning, birth injuries, and neonatal trauma. Cerebral palsy is a relatively serious disease. It refers to a syndrome caused by non-progressive brain damage due to certain reasons before birth, during birth, or in early infancy. Therefore, among all children with cerebral palsy, approximately one-fourth have normal intelligence, about one-half have mild to moderate intellectual impairments, and a significant portion has severe intellectual disabilities.