Cerebral Palsy

What is Cerebral Palsy (CP)?

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that involves damage to the brain that impairs movement and posture. The neurological injury may also damage other functions of the brain such as intelligence, hearing, vision, speech, etc. as well. The brain injury occurs before birth, during birth, or within the first few years of a child’s life. Cerebral palsy is non-progressive (it does not get worse), not genetic, and is incurable. It is a disease rather than a condition.

Cerebral palsy is characterized by issues with muscles (such as being too stiff, being out of voluntary control, an inability to sit up straight), reflexes, co-ordination, or motor skills. Often, people with cerebral palsy have problems with bones or joints (deformities, stiff joints, dislocated joints etc.).

Many people with cerebral palsy have secondary problems. This include learning disabilities/mental retardation, seizures, epilepsy, incontinence, speech issues, eating problems and sensory/perception issues.

Cerebral palsy is very diverse. Each individual will have different symptoms, while its severity ranges from mild (slight clumsiness) to severe (co-ordinate movement virtually impossible).

Whilst cerebral palsy has no cure, medical and therapeutic interventions can significantly enhance the quality of life for those affected. Those interventions occurring in early life, when the child is still developing, are most effective, and that’s why it’s important that cerebral palsy is diagnosed early.

With a comparatively high incidence of the condition, and with cerebral palsy individuals facing acute discrimination and exclusion from mainstream society, cerebral palsy is Nepal’s ‘hidden catastrophe’. International studies

Cerebral Palsy Nepal estimates the incidence to be around 3 per 1,000 people, with at least 70,000 Nepalese with the condition. Poor medical care, poor nutrition, high illiteracy and poor education of mothers may all contribute to this high figure, as well as a high mortality rate. Individuals with cerebral palsy may suffer exclusion from education, health services and social security benefits. Inaccessible buildings, a lack of technical adoptions such as splints, and Nepal’s mountainous terrain are further factors affecting the mobility of cerebral palsy individuals. Furthermore, cerebral palsy is a highly stigmatizing condition in Nepal. Despite the efforts of CP Nepal and other organizations in raising awareness, beliefs such as cerebral palsy being punishment for sins in a past life, or as a source of bad luck, are still common, while mothers of cerebral palsy children often suffer ridicule from relatives. The harsh economic realities of Nepal also contribute to a situation in which individuals with cerebral palsy are often thought of as a burden on their families. Through our range of programs focusing on the prevention, awareness and management of cerebral palsy, we are working to address this situation ( http://www.cpnepal.org/).

What Causes Cerebral Palsy?

Congenital cerebral palsy results from brain injury during a baby's development in the womb. It is present at birth, although it may not be detected for months. It is responsible for CP in about 70% of the children who have it. An additional 20% are diagnosed with congenital cerebral palsy due to a brain injury during the birthing process. In most cases, the cause of congenital cerebral palsy is unknown. Some possible causes are:

• Infections during pregnancy that may damage a fetus' developing nervous. These include rubella (German measles), cytomegalovirus (a herpes-type virus), and toxoplasmosis (an infection caused by a parasite that can be carried in cat feces or inadequately cooked meat). Other infections in pregnant women that may go undetected are being recognized now as an important cause of developmental brain damage in the fetus.
• Severe jaundice in the infant. Jaundice is caused by excessive bilirubin in the blood. Normally, bilirubin is filtered out by the liver. But often, newborns' livers need a few days to start doing this effectively, so it's not uncommon for infants to have jaundice for a few days after birth. In most cases, phototherapy (light therapy) clears up jaundice, and there are no lasting health effects. However, in rare cases, severe, untreated jaundice can damage brain cells.
• Rh incompatibility between mother and infant. In this blood condition, the mother's body produces antibodies that destroy the fetus's blood cells. This, in turn, leads to a form of jaundice in the newborn and may cause brain damage.
• The physical and metabolic trauma of being born. This can precipitate brain damage in a fetus whose health has been threatened during development.
• Severe oxygen deprivation to the brain or significant trauma to the head during labor and delivery.

Does my child have cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is associated with problems with movement, reflexes, co-ordination, joints and bones. Some of the key symptoms include:

§  Delayed milestones/development (such as crawling, rolling, walking, etc.)

§  Spasticity (muscle tightness)

§  Spasms/involuntary movements

§  Jerky/overshooting movements

§  Uncoordinated or exaggerated facial expressions

§  Problems with balance

§  Unusual gait/walking issues

§  Joint stiffness

§  Bone/joint deformities

§  Irregular posture (stiff or very floppy body)

§  Curved spine/small head

Additionally, cerebral palsy may be associated with any of these secondary conditions:

§  Seizures

§  Speech problems

§  Epilepsy

§  Muscle pain

§  Mental retardation

§  Incontinence

§  Eating problems

§  Sleep disorders

(http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-cerebral-palsy-basic-information#1)

If you think your child might have cerebral palsy, please contact Your Doctor at earliest possible!

Love Laugh and Live, Wonderful Life exists with CP !

Dr. Jhamak Ghimire, who has been honored with Madan Puraskar, Nepal's highest award in the literary field, was born in Dhankuta in 1980. She suffers from cerebral palsy and just like most of the cerebral palsy patients turning out to be geniuses, she too has come a long way from a vegetable whose parents wished she were dead to one of the most esteemed writers in Nepali literature. 

And now she has awarded an honorary Doctorate Degree to Litterateur from The Mid-Westren University, Nepal. The honorary degree has been conferred to hail the contribution Jhamak Ghimire--a treasure of Nepali literature and a standout figure of creativity and struggle--has made to Nepali literature, the certificate states (http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2016-06-16/jhamak-ghimire-honored.html)

Let's Love and Care to the children with cerebral palsy (CP), They can perform very intellectually on their field of interest !

                                                                                   -SITA PANDEY (DIVYA)