What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability. It affects 17 million people across the world.
It occurs as a result of trauma to the brain before a child is born (in utero), during the birthing process or for up to two years after birth.
CP presents as a global delay in motor development with each child affected according to which area of the brain is injured.
This injury of the brain results in changes of muscle tone, movement patterns, balance and co-ordination. Vision, hearing or cognition can sometimes be involved.
The Good News !
Early Intervention is critical and the main predictor of future outcomes for a child with development delay.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form new connections and work around areas of injury. Excellent resources describing this concept are Karen Pape, MD in The Boy Who Could Run but Not Walk and Karen Pryor, PhD, PT, DPT in Ten fingers, Ten Toes: Twenty Things Everyone Needs to Know. Neuroplasticity for Children.
The Future...
The Perception of Cerebral Palsy is Changing! This stems from advances in medicine, determined parents networking through social media, as well as the media acknowledging adults with cerebral palsy making a positive impact in their communities and the world at large. Let's have more of this and with momentum on this scale, Anything is Truly Possible.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness (Original Art by Savannah Pham)