United Cerebral Palsy Association - Articles - Zimbio

Cut the Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Premature Babies

Wed, 31 Jan 2008 20:51:00 GMT

posted by amandaberryman

Thursday, January 31, 2008

The risk of cerebral palsy in premature babies can be cut by giving the mothers magnesium sulfate just before they give birth. The mineral compound is used already to treat pregnancy-related high blood pressure and to stop early labor. The mineral is cheap and not harmful.

Cerebral palsy is a serious condition and complication of premature babies. It is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls movement. It would cause poor muscle control and coordination. It is not completely clear how magnesium sulfate words but it is assumed that it opens up the blood vessels in the infant’s brain. The mineral is also a sedative and can make the mothers and infants feel sleepy.

There also was a study that found that women that take folic acid for at least a year before they get pregnant could reduce their chances of premature birth by 50 to 70 percent. Taking folic acid is already recommended for women to prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, such as spina bifada.

Posted by Nicole B at

Labels: babies, baby, cerebral palsy, infant, infants, magnesium, minerals, newborn, newborns, premature

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Colin Farrell Talks About Son’s Cerebral Palsy

Mon, 16 Oct 2007 21:17:00 GMT

posted by angigistarr

I had no idea -- it's not like I go around hoping celebrities have disabled kids, but it sort of makes it seem like it can happen to anyone. Thanks to Jacqui for bringing this to my attention!

QUOTED FROM US MAGAZINE

Miami Vice actor Colin Farrell may have earned a reputation as a bad boy in Hollywood, but at home with his four-year-old son James, he is anything but. In a recent interview, Farrell spoke about his son's disability, a rare form of cerebral palsy called Angelman's Syndrome which affects his speech and motor skills, and how James has shown "amazing courage" even as a toddler.

Farrell, who has joint custody of his son with mom Kim Bordenave, recounts a recent milestone in James' life: his first steps. “He took his first steps about six weeks ago and it was four years in the making. All the work is his, he worked his arse off for four years. And when he took the first steps it was incredibly emotional, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.”

And the 31-year-old actor is committed to helping his son have even more such moments, by reaching his "individual potential." He says, "With my son the only time I'm reminded that there is something different about him – that he has some deviation of what is perceived to be normal – is when I see him with other four-year-olds. Then I go 'oh yeah' and it comes back to me. But from day one I felt that he's the way he's meant to be.”

Fortuitously, Farrell became involved in the Special Olympics prior to James' birth. “It's mad the way the world works. It's bizarre. I experienced the overwhelming effect of being around those athletes pretty much just before my son was born with special needs." For Farrell, both experiences have been enriching. "[I am] incredibly blessed to have him in my life," he says of James.

Treatment of Drooling With Type A Botulinum Toxin in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Fri, 5 Jul 2008 07:47:00 GMT

posted by kodaku
Sialorrhea, or drooling, has been reported to be a significant problem in 10%to 37% of patients with cerebral palsy. Excessive drooling may cause skin maceration, increased the burden of caregiver, affect articulation of the patients, and increase the risk of aspiration and dehydration. Many options, including various therapies, medications, surgeries and radiation, have been proposed to treat drooling. Yet none of these is universally successful and many have potential complications. Nerve endings of the parasympathetic post-ganglionic neurons secret aceylcholine. Botulinum toxin should be able to inhibit salivary gland secretion by blocking the release of acetylcholine. Very limited case series had proved fair result of botulinum toxin injection to treat drooling. However, most of the subjects were adult patients with neurological disorders. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injection to treat drooling in children with cerebral palsy, and to find the most appropriate dosage, duration of effect and side effects.

Definition of Cerebral Palsy

Wed, 19 Jun 2008 03:13:17 GMT

posted by lkoudal

Definition of Cerebral Palsy
by: Jerald Chan

Definition of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement. The disorders appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time.

Description of Cerebral Palsy

These disorders are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves outside the brain. Instead, faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain’s ability to adequately control movement and posture.

Cerebral palsy is classified into four broad categories - spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed forms - according to the type of movement disturbance.

1. Spastic cerebral palsy affects 70 to 80 percent of patients. In this form, the muscles are stiffly and permanently contracted. Doctors will often describe which type of spastic cerebral palsy a patient has based on which limbs are affected.

2. Athetoid or dyskinetic cerebral palsy is the form characterized by uncontrolled, slow, and writhing movements. These abnormal movements usually affect the hands, feet, arms, or legs and, in some cases, the muscles of the face and tongue, causing grimacing or drooling.

3. Ataxic cerebral palsy is a rare form that affects balance and coordination. Affected persons may walk unsteadily with a wide-based gait, placing their feet unusually far apart. It also can produce intention tremor.

4. Mixed forms of cerebral palsy exist in that it is common for patients to have more than one form of cerebral palsy. The most common combination includes spasticity and athetoid movements but other combinations are possible.

Cerebral palsy is not contagious, nor is it usually inherited from one generation to the next. At this time it cannot be cured, although there is research directed towards improving treatments and methods of prevention.

Causes and Risk Factors of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is caused by injuries, infections or other trauma to the brain when an infant is in utero, or at the time of birth.

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

Symptoms of cerebral palsy lie along a spectrum of varying severity. An individual with cerebral palsy may have difficulty with fine motor tasks, such as writing or cutting with scissors; experience trouble with maintaining balance and walking; or be affected by involuntary movements such as uncontrollable writhing motion of the hands or drooling.

The symptoms differ from one person to the next, and may even change over time in the individual. Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical disorders, including seizures or mental impairment.

Contrary to common belief, however, cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap. While a child with severe cerebral palsy might be unable to walk and need extensive, lifelong care, a child with mild cerebral palsy might be only slightly awkward and require no special assistance.

Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Although cerebral palsy cannot be cured, treatment can often improve a child’s capabilities. In fact, progress due to medical research now means that many patients can enjoy near-normal lives if their neurological symptoms are properly managed.

There is no standard therapy that works for all patients. Some approaches that can be included in a treatment plan are drugs to control seizures and muscle spasms, special braces to compensate for muscle imbalance, surgery, mechanical aids to help overcome impairments, counseling for emotional and psychological needs, and physical, occupational, speech, and behavioral therapy.

In general, the earlier treatment begins, the better chance a child has of overcoming developmental disabilities or learning new ways to accomplish difficult tasks.

From:http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_5260.shtml

Post from: HealthInfo

Definition of Cerebral Palsy

For Gutsy Blogger Glenda, Cerebral Palsy is a Challenge, Not a Sentence

Tue, 31 Jan 2007 04:10:00 GMT

posted by Des

Glenda Watson Hyatt is an author, a blogger and a podcaster. By the way, she also has cerebral palsy.

When Glenda was born, her disabilities were severe enough that her parents were advised to institutionalize her. They didn't. And the redhead proved the experts wrong.

I've been a friend and admirer of Glenda's since we met virtually, quite a few moons ago, on an online discussion forum. So I was quite delighted when Glenda asked me to help promote her autobiography, I'll Do It Myself, by interviewing her as part of her 40 day virtual book tour.

Here is the interview - my questions in italics. It's an extended interview - make sure you click "more" to read it in full: whether or not you decide to check out Glenda's book you won't be disappointed.

Glenda, I remember when we met virtually on the Ryze network, I wasn't aware that you had any disability until you mentioned it. That's so different from what would happen in the offline world, surely? Do you find that people communicate differently with you, more effectively, less effectively, when they finally get that this great communicator Glenda has had to beat a few challenges a lot of us never dream of facing?

Glenda: Communicating online has been so liberating for me because my cerebral palsy isn’t even in the picture, unless I happen to mention it. That is not to say that I hide or am ashamed of my disability, but sometimes it is not important to the task at hand; it is an extraneous fact. And people don’t approach and interact with me online the same way they do in the real world, with all of their assumptions and misperceptions about people with disabilities.

When I do mention my disability online, people tend to open up and reveal their own disability, challenge or struggle. It leads to a more honest and a deeper connection than what may have occurred face-to-face. Ironically, using this impersonal technology can result in more personal relationships.