Being born at his eight month, Huey can be considered as a miracle baby because he was very strong, but a few days after his birth, he was taken to the hospital because his pee is too little, so he was circumcised and was put on an incubator after. Everything went okay until his seventh month when his grandmother noticed that Huey can’t support his head and body when he is trying to lie face down. He was taken to the doctor, tests were conducted, and the greatest test to Huey’s family came when the doctor said that their little angel has a developmental disorder—cerebral palsy.
The incidence of cerebral palsy is approximately two 2 to 4 individuals for every 1000 births and studies have shown that at least 5,000 infants and toddlers and 1,200 to 1,500 preschoolers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year in the United States today. What if your child is the next Huey?
According to a publication of the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, cerebral palsy (CP) is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting the body movements and muscle coordination. The Alfred Dupont Institute’s (ADI) website says that CP is also used to describe the motor impairment resulting from brain damage in the child regardless of the cause of damage or its effect on the child. The same site stated that CP is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain which usually occurs during fetal development or during infancy although it can also occur before, during or shortly following birth.
According to the Springfield Shriners Hospital’s website, cerebral refers to the brain and palsy to a disorder in movement or posture which also means that because of an injury to their brain (cerebral) persons with CP are not able to use some of the muscles in their body in the normal way (palsy).
According to Ms. Criselda Preciosa L. Salang, a physical therapist registered in the Philippines (PTRP) and the chief physical therapist of the Center for Holistic Intervention Plans and Services, Inc. in Diliman, Quezon City, (CHIPS-Diliman), “basically, cerebral palsy is a disorder of posture and movements due to a lesion to the immature brain”. She also stated that the motor problem is due to the injury to the brain while the brain of the child has not matured yet. During the interview, she added that, “normally, the injury is low oxygen in the brain caused by irradiation during pregnancy, prematurity, maternal infection, prolonged labor, respiratory obstruction in the baby while in labor or traumatic injury before two years old.”
For the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, the simplest answer to the question of what the cause of cerebral palsy is because of brain damage, but there are many possible reasons why children can sustain brain damage. In many cases, no one knows for sure what caused the brain injury or what have been done to prevent it but some research has proved that medical mistakes are responsible for thousands of CP cases. ADI’s website stated that premature infants have slightly higher incidence of cerebral palsy although it may also occur during early infancy as a result of cerebral injury caused by illness, head injury that results in subdural hematoma, blood vessel injuries and many others.
According to PTRP Salang, the problem with CP which makes it different from other motor impairment is their muscle tone or the continuous state of mild contraction of muscle. “Children with CP are normally hypertonic or spastic where the muscle is so stiff that the patient cannot move freely… There is also a type of CP is where there is muscle fluctuation, sometimes they [the children with CP] are floppy, sometimes stiff. The people of this type have a hard time moving and maintaining positions like squatting, sitting quadruped or standing,” explained PRTP Salang when asked what the different types of CP are.
In addition, the ADI’s cerebral palsy program says that there may be partial or full loss of movement (paralysis), sensory abnormalities, and defects of hearing and vision although there may also have difficulty in sucking or feeding, irregular breathing, and delayed development of motor skills such as, reaching and sitting. National Institute of
Neurological Disorder and Stroke’s website recognizes that speech abnormalities are common and seizures may occur as well as intellectual function may range from extremely bright normal to severe mental retardation. These symptoms are said to be usually evident before age two and in severe cases, may appear as early as three months.
CP is neither progressive nor communicable says the publication of the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities and it is not hereditary or contagious; nor does it get worse. Although children with very mild CP occasionally recover by the time they are school-aged, CP is usually a lifelong disability. In most cases sited at the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke’s website, the movement and other problems associated with cerebral palsy affect what the child is able to learn and do to varying degrees throughout their life.
The website of Springfield Shriners Hospital stated that there are risk factors for cerebral palsy but these risks may not be the direct cause of CP but a variable that could increase the possibility of occurrence of CP. According to the same site, it is a risk for CP when the mother is 40 years old or older, a father and mother of 20 years old or younger, low birth weight, premature infant or when one of the twins dies.
“Huey’s doctor told me that CP is a lifelong disorder and that long term care may be required. His development still varies,” quoted Mrs. Diane Miraballes, Huey’s mom. According to PTRP Salang, “You cannot treat it [CP]. You can only manage it and maximize the independence of the child with CP.” She also added that nothing could be done at the lesion at the brain but the physical manifestations and mental impairments can be managed through physical, occupational, or speech therapy. PTRP Salang also emphasized that although there is no cure for cerebral palsy yet, ongoing management is critical for the child to reach maximum functional, social, and emotional well-being.
The individualized treatment for cerebral palsy of Springfield Shriners Hospital may include home programs, medication, special education, family services or in rare cases, surgery is used to reach the child’s maximum potential.
Medically speaking, early intervention is what PTRP Salang recommended as the best way to manage CP. She also added that the parent should be actively involved in the management and therapy of the child, giving them the physical, financial, and emotional needs of their child because delaying the needs of the child would worsen the situation.
“Acceptance is the first thing that parents should do when they have a child with CP,” PTRP Salang also stated. It is difficult for parents to accept that there is something wrong with their child but the situation would be a lot harder for the child if he/she does not feel accepted. Mrs. Miraballes have quoted that the parents should not try to look for something or someone to blame rather they should think of the situation as a gift.
“Patience is a must,” as to what PTRP Salang said when asked what the most important thing that the parents should have. Mrs. Miraballes also agreed that parents like her should really be patient waiting and supporting their child since the therapy is slow and the improvement period takes time.
“The parents should learn about CP because the more you know, the more you can help your child,” said PTRP Salang. According to the National Institute of
Neurological Disorder and Stroke’s website, loving and playing with the child also helps especially when the child is treated not as a child with disabilities. For Mrs. Miraballes, keeping her hopes up is also needed for improvement to be more appreciated. She also commented that the recent technologies can also offer to better enhance the process and even make it faster. “But the most powerful one is the acceptance of the truth and hoping for improvement,” quoted Mrs. Miraballes.
The cerebral palsy program of the Alfred Dupont Institute says that all disabled people are impaired and all handicapped people are disabled. But a person can be impaired while not necessarily being disabled. Also, a person can be disabled without being handicapped. Children with cerebral palsy are not handicapped. Even with some impairment, they still are part of the society and they can contribute to it. They need to be understood and respected by other people, the people who are not impaired, disabled or handicapped of understanding them.
