Pediatric Paralysis

The diagnosis of paralysis is a significant event for children, parents, and the entire unit of family and friends. Paralysis is the inability to make your body part(s) move voluntarily. This can be due to an issue in the brain, the spinal cord, or the peripheral nerve in the body that controls that body part(s). Examples of some causes of paralysis in children include:

child in wheelchair

Diseases such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, or Guillain-Barré
Congenital issues
Trauma at birth
Infection of bacteria or viruses
Chemical imbalance

There are different classifications of pediatric paralysis. These include:

Facial Paralysis
Monoplegia-one limb affected by paralysis
Diplegia-limbs affected by paralysis on both sides of the body such as both arms or both legs.
Hemiplegia-one side of the body affected by paralysis
Paraplegia-paralysis from the trunk down
Tetraplegia (Quadriplegia)-paralysis affecting the body

Treatment of paralysis in children is similar to adult treatment but adapted to the differences in pediatric anatomical and physiological differences. If the cause of paralysis is correctable as with antibiotic or nutritional treatment, the issue can be managed by the medical team. Some advanced treatments will be managed by pediatric specialists such as plasma exchange to clean the blood or intravenous immune globulin to remove excessive antibodies from blood.

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Long-term rehabilitation for temporary or continuing paralysis may be needed with advancing therapies as your child grows, develops, matures, and improves. Maintenance therapies will be recommended until the child is developmentally ready for the next steps to progression. Therapy is based both on developmental needs and age. Age-appropriate independence should be included in therapy, school, and at home.

Long-term rehabilitation treatments may include:

Body positioning to avoid complications such as muscle contractures or bone misalignment
Management of swallowing, feeding issues, and improving speech
Performing bowel and bladder programs for internal body functions and continence
Protection of skin breakdown (pressure injury) through pressure releases and treatment
Advancing activities of daily living
Improvement in muscle strengthening
Promoting endurance
Functional Electrical Stimulation to improve and stimulate nerve connections
Provision of mobility appropriate for age
- Standing therapy
- Adaptive mobility through the use of crutches, walkers, splints, wheelchairs, weight-supported walking
- Aquatic therapy where movement is learned in an environment with gravity reduced

Many new treatments are on the horizon. Keep up to date with learning about these treatments and when they may be available to your child. Think carefully about becoming involved with new treatments as your child’s body is still developing. Some choices may need to be delayed until further evidence is collected about long term effects.