Growth problems
A syndrome called failure to thrive is common in children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy, especially those with spastic quadriplegia. Failure to thrive is a general term physicians use to describe children who seem to lag behind in growth and development despite seeming to have enough food. In babies, this lag usually takes the form of too little weight gain; in young children, it can appear as abnormal shortness; in teenagers, it may appear as a combination of shortness and lack of sexual development.
Failure to thrive probably has several causes, including, in particular, poor nutrition and damage to the brain centres controlling growth and development. In addition, the muscles and limbs affected by cerebral palsy tend to be smaller than normal. This is especially noticeable in some patients with spastic hemiplegia, because limbs on the affected side of the body may not grow as quickly or as large as those on the more normal side. This condition usually affects the hand and foot most severely. Since the involved foot in hemiplegia is often smaller than the unaffected foot even among patients who walk, this size difference is probably not due to lack of use. Scientists believe the problem is more likely to result from disruption of the complex process responsible for normal body growth.
