New guidelines issued from the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society, have suggested that children and teens suffering from cerebral palsy can be effective treated with botulinum toxin injections, which might manage to treat spasticity and muscle tightness that hampers movement.

The guidelines have their roots in the review of an already available research on drug treatment for cerebral palsy, also asserted that botulinum toxin type A, more popularly known as Botox, is mostly safe, but does pose some marginal risks sometimes.

"In reviewing this drug for treatment of spasticity in children, the [U. S.] Food and Drug Administration is investigating isolated cases of generalized weakness following use of botulinum toxin type A for spasticity", said lead author of the guidelines Dr. Mauricio R. Delgado, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.

The new guidelines also include recommendations to consider the medicine diazepam as a short-term treatment of spasticity.

Detailed guidelines have been published in the January 26 issue of Neurology.