what is Congenital encephalopathy

[moona36]

My 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with congenital encephalopathy when she turned year old, My question is what causes this disorder. And is her developmental delays p[art of this disorder? She is four but developmentally she is two, this is what he doctor tells me.

[AH2B]

I would be wary of labels. In the long run, it can cause you to avoid approaching a group (like CP Assoc) because you don't match. And it seems that many educators treat kids in two very general groups: behavior (incl AHDH, ADD, etc), or  physical (CP or any other limitation). Our 27 yr old daughter has had diagnoses of choreoathetosis, static encephalopathy, CP, and "none known." So don't worry about CP; use whatever label you need to get what YOU know your child needs.

[Cingram24]

Hi, I noticed this discussion is from 2012, but I figured I would give it a shot for some answers.
My son, now 5 years old, has some developmental delays: poor gross & fine motor skills, articulation, mood issues, etc. We have a few diagnosis from our developmental pediatrician: congenital encephalopathy manifesting as ADHD, aphasia manifesting as an expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language disorder with articulation problems, developmental coordination disorder manifesting as delayed fine motor and sensory processing skills, leading to poor self regulation and dysgraphia.
My question would be - if he has congenital encephalopathy and aphasia, should we be worried about CP?? I have emailed the developmental pedi in hopes of some better explanations, but would love another opinion...

Thanks!

[Arti Sharma, M.D.]

Hi,
I am sorry to hear about your daughter. Congenital encephalopathy means there was some brain damage during fetal development. It can manifest as spastic paraplegia, delayed milestones etc.It can be caused due to mutation in a particular gene. Few other  congenital encepholapathies are  Picks disease, cerebral palsy etc.In cerebral palsy the disruption in brain development can occur during the growth of the fetus, at the time of birth or during the first two or three years of life This is a progressive condition and the degree of functional impairment can help in determining the severity. It is a part of broader congenital encephalopathy. Her developmental delay is part of her encephalopathy. Discuss all your concerns with your doctor. Hope you find this information useful. Do keep us posted on how she is doing.
Best wishes!