Botox helps children with cerebral palsy
Botox is used by cosmetic surgeons to smooth out wrinkles but a more purified form of the botulism toxin A is now being successfully used to relieve cerebral palsy by reducing tightness in the muscles.
Dr Irene van der Ploeg from University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire spoke of the benefits of Botox at major conference in Dublin last week.
About 150 children are born in Ireland with cerebral palsy every year. It is a medical condition caused by permanent brain injury that may occur during pregnancy, delivery or shortly after birth.
Botox relieves cerebral palsy symptoms by blocking the signal that nerves are trying to pass to the muscle.
Because the toxin reduces tightness in the muscles, there is better control of movement. It also increases the stretch of muscles, reducing the risk of permanent muscle contractions.
Dr van der Ploeg said she started using botox in the lower limb of children with cerebral palsy in 2001 before moving on to treat the upper limbs three years later.
The doctor said they were able to calculate the dose and target the injection point to get the best result
And, she said, because botox increased the stretch of muscles, the benefits were seen even after it stopped working four months after the injection.
“One boy who was badly affected found he could go on a picnic and drink from a plastic cup without crushing it. That was a major achievement for him,” she said.
