Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that affect body movement, balance, and posture. In many cases, speech, vision difficulties, seizure or cognitive problem are also affected. It is caused by the abnormal development or damage to a part of the brain that controls movement. It usually appears early in life, usually in infancy or early childhood.
Symptoms of a child with cerebral palsy vary from one person to person which may include: delayed in reaching developmental milestones, weakness in one or more arm or leg, lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia), muscle spasms, muscle tone that either are too stiff or too floppy, fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements, walking on tip-toes, or excessive drooling or difficulties swallowing or speaking.
There is no known cure for the condition, but supportive treatments, therapy, medications, and surgery are facilitated to improve the life of the child.
Nursing Care Plans
Nursing goals for a client with cerebral palsy include optimize mobility and prevent deformity, improve nutritional status, strengthen family support, foster self-care, enhanced communication and provide quality of life.
Here are seven nursing care plans and nursing diagnosis for cerebral palsy:
- Impaired Physical Mobility
- Imbalanced Nutrition: Less than Body Requirements
- Impaired Verbal Communication
- Ineffective Therapeutic Regimen Management
- Risk for Injury
- Risk for Delayed Growth and Development
- Risk for Self-Care Deficit
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less than Body Requirements
Nursing Diagnosis
- Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
May be related to
- Increased metabolic needs
- Inability to ingest food properly
Possibly evidenced by
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing and sucking
- Inadequate caloric intake
- Uncoordinated hand movement
- Underweight
Desired Outcomes
- Child/infant takes adequate amount of calories or nutrients needed for normal growth.
Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
---|---|
Monitor and record height and weight. | These anthropomorphic assessments are vital that they need to be accurate. These will be used as a basis for caloric and nutrient requirements. |
Assess the infant sucking and swallowing ability. | Infants with cerebral palsy often suck poorly due to the uncoordinated movements of the lips, tongue, and jaw and tongue thrusting make them push food out of their mouth. |
Offer small frequent meals more throughout the day. | Adequate time is required between meals to allow for natural swallowing. |
Position the child upright during feedings. | Aspiration pneumonia is a risk for a child with poor swallowing. |
Use soft and blended foods. | Foods can be softened by combining it with milk, juice, or broth to avoid aspiration. Liquids can be thickened to facilitate safety and ease in swallowing. |
Encourage adequate fluid intake and high fiber foods such as wholegrain cereals, fruit, and vegetables. | High fiber diet and increase fluid intake avoid constipation. |
Offer high protein supplements based on individual needs and capabilities. | Such supplements can be used to increase calories and protein without conflict with voluntary food intake. |
Teach the family regarding proper enteral tube feeding as appropriate. | Enteral tube feeding is indicated in children with CP who are unable to meet their nutritional requirements orally. |
Recommended Resources
Recommended nursing diagnosis and nursing care plan books and resources.
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- Nursing Care Plans: Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (10th Edition)
An awesome book to help you create and customize effective nursing care plans. We highly recommend this book for its completeness and ease of use. - Nurse’s Pocket Guide: Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions and Rationales
A quick-reference tool to easily select the appropriate nursing diagnosis to plan your patient’s care effectively. - NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions & Classification, 2021-2023Â (12th Edition)
The official and definitive guide to nursing diagnoses as reviewed and approved by the NANDA-I. This book focuses on the nursing diagnostic labels, their defining characteristics, and risk factors – this does not include nursing interventions and rationales. - Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 12th Edition Revised Reprint with 2021-2023 NANDA-I® Updates
Another great nursing care plan resource that is updated to include the recent NANDA-I updates. - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5(TM))
Useful for creating nursing care plans related to mental health and psychiatric nursing. - Ulrich & Canale’s Nursing Care Planning Guides, 8th Edition
Claims to have the most in-depth care plans of any nursing care planning book. Includes 31 detailed nursing diagnosis care plans and 63 disease/disorder care plans. - Maternal Newborn Nursing Care Plans (3rd Edition)
If you’re looking for specific care plans related to maternal and newborn nursing care, this book is for you. - Nursing Diagnosis Manual: Planning, Individualizing, and Documenting Client Care (7th Edition)
An easy-to-use nursing care plan book that is updated with the latest diagnosis from NANDA-I 2021-2023. - All-in-One Nursing Care Planning Resource: Medical-Surgical, Pediatric, Maternity, and Psychiatric-Mental Health (5th Edition)
Definitely an all-in-one resources for nursing care planning. It has over 100 care plans for different nursing topics.
See also
Other recommended site resources for this nursing care plan:
- Nursing Care Plans (NCP): Ultimate Guide and Database
Over 150+ nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions. Includes our easy-to-follow guide on how to create nursing care plans from scratch. - Nursing Diagnosis Guide and List: All You Need to Know to Master Diagnosing
Our comprehensive guide on how to create and write diagnostic labels. Includes detailed nursing care plan guides for common nursing diagnostic labels.
Other nursing care plans related to neurological disorders:
- Alzheimer’s Disease | 15Â Care Plans
- Brain Tumor | 3 Care Plans
- Cerebral Palsy | 7 Care Plans
- Cerebrovascular Accident | 12 Care Plans
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome | 6 Care Plans
- Meningitis | 7 Care Plans
- Multiple Sclerosis | 9 Care Plans
- Parkinson’s Disease | 9 Care Plans
- Seizure Disorder | 4 Care Plans
- Spinal Cord Injury | 12 Care Plans