Cerebral Palsy, otherwise known as CP, affects 1 in 500 children around the globe. Diagnosed in early childhood, CP is the most common physical disability found in children, even today, in first world countries with the best medical care ever seen. Cerebral Palsy varies in its overall effects, ranging from barley noticeable to extremely severe and to this day remains one of the life's medical mysteries. As it affects so many people in the world, it is important to gain an understanding of cerebral palsy and its effects on those who are diagnosed with the disorder. Congenital CP is the most common case of Cerebral Palsy, caused by brain damage that occurs before or during birth. Brain damage can be attributed as a cause for 85-90% of all cases of Cerebral Palsy associated with "certain risk factors. There are multiple risk factors associated with congenital cerebral palsy that may increase the chance of developing CP. Children born at a low birthweight, premature, or in a multiple pregnancy are more at risk of contracting cerebral palsy. Children born from pregnancies that resulted from reproductive technology and children born to mothers who experienced infection or medical problems during the term of the pregnancy are also much more apt to develop cerebral palsy. CP developed by these types of problems is often referred to as acquired CP, or cerebral palsy caused by infection or injury before birth. Although there are preventative measures that can be taken to lessen the risk of obtaining the disorder, there is no way to completely prevent or treat CP. There are three major types of cerebral palsy, spastic, dyskinetic, and ataxic. The first of these, spastic CP is the most common, affect about 80% of people with the disorder.... ... middle of paper ... ...h riding the horse. Although clients who came to Horses Help all dealt with different disorders, I was blessed enough to work with these three kids and work up close and personally with cerebral palsy. CP will continue to be a medical mystery. Work continues to be done as scientists search for a cure and better ways to improve the life of those already dealing with the disorder. There are many types of CP and they all vary in their severity and affects on the body, but all have major implications for the body and the proper steps should be taken to try and prevent the child from developing cerebral palsy. Works Cited "Cerebral Palsy (CP)." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. "What Is Cerebral Palsy?" World Cerebral Palsy Day. The Allergan Foundation, 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It is a birth defect in which a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop properly. The term Spina bifida comes from Latin and means "split" or "open" spine. This disorder occurs when the fetus is growing in the womb and its spine doesn’t form correctly. Some of the vertebrae don’t close to make their normal ring shapes around the spinal cord. This defect happens at the end of the first month of pregnancy, when a baby's spine and spinal cord are developing. Causes of Spina Bifida Causes that cause this disorder are low levels of the vitamin folic acid during pregnancy. Not having enough folic acid in the diet before and during early pregnancy can increase a woman's risk of Spina bifida and possibility of other neural tube defects. A high fever during pregnancy may increase a woman's chance of having a baby with Spina bifida. Some evidence suggests that genes may be a cause of Spina Bifida, but most babies born with Spina bifida have no family history of the condition. Also, women with epilepsy
It is characterized by normal early growth and development followed by a slowing of development, the loss of purposeful use of the hands, slowed brain and head growth, problems with walking, seizures, and intellectual disability.
Sankar, C; Mandkur, N. (2005). Cerebral Palsy-Definition, Classification, Etiology and Early Diagnosis. Symposium on Developmental and Behavioural Disorders. 72 (10), 865-868.
Young, Rhoria Lee, and Maggie Bracher. "Horsemastership part 2: Physical, psychological, educational and social benefits." International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation 12.3 (2005): 120-125. Web. 8 Mar. 2011.
Over some period of time, affected children (patients) experience mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Affected patients become totally disabled and eventually die.
Many people have heard the term cerebral palsy and may have a personal perception about the appearance and effects of this
The family of a new rider and the instructor decide on what goals a child with disabilities can reach. These goals would be like improving posture or increasing speech fluency. Goals vary from child to child as a way to meet their specific goals. “Bobby” stutters. Therapeutic horseback riding can help him by riding a horse around the arena and calling out the numbers that are posted as he passes them. Sammy, a six year old with cerebral palsy, has a goal of sitting up straight. Her goal is to stay on the horse without aid from support staff. As she progresses, Sammy is instructed to move certain body parts that will test her balance.
How many of us wished to have super powers as kids ? I don't mean being strong as hulk, being bitten by a spider to be able to climb buildings like spider man, or be able to fly like birds around the city in the blue sky's. It is known that the human brain can not focus on a single task more than 10%. But there have been some individuals that are capable of this ability. Daniel Tammet have learned one of the most strenuous languages on earth fluently in just 7 days from his interview or Stephen Wiltshire which was capable of drawing the New York city and Rome just by having an one time tour with the helicopter and flying around the city he was able to draw the whole city and mentioning all the details without captivating any pictures or writing any notes. Amazing right? Sadly these talents have their own cost. Most of these indivisible suffer in their daily lives not being able to communicate with others within verbal communication or emotionally, most of them can't even function in their daily lives by their own, dress by them self or even eat a simple lunch not even talking about preparing the food leaving them to intended to live their lives isolated from the society. This rare syndrome i'm talking about is recognized as the savant syndrome. it's an unique condition letting the persons have an intelligence above normal in some ares in life such as musical, mechanical, artistic and mathematical, in exchange of limiting this person emotionally. Savant syndrome touches several people in the world. It can occur after birth or later in any stage of life. It affects both males and females but occurs mostly in males. Many scientists have come with different explanations for the savant syndrome. First it was discovered in 1987 by J.London Down. Also, he was the one that devised and related the disorder with the skill to mention an amazing memory. A study published by Bernard Rimland have states that "the savant skills most often present in autistic people are those associated with right hemisphere functions and the most deficient abilities are associated with left hemisphere functions (Treffer, 2002). This supports prove that the left brain hemisphere model to be correct.
In the 1960’s, an Austrian pediatrician, Dr. Andres Rett, recognized a few of his female patients with similar indications of having some type of neurologic disorder but did not fit the cerebral palsy classification (Zoghbi, 2002). Without the knowledge of earlier research, a Swedish physician, Bengt Hagberg, began to openly speak about his observations similarly to Dr. Andres Rett records (Zoghbi, 2002). Bengt Hagberg observed numerous of female patients with this unknown syndrome and was curious in their wringing hand movement that no textbook had information on. In June 1981 Dr. Neil Gordon hosted a board meeting of the European Federations of Child Neurology Societies in Manchester and Bengt Hagberg had the opportunity to share his studies there. The discussion group had other pediatric neurologists that had seen the same behaviors but they all were unable to categorize it into its own identity. As years past, this syndrome has increased and neurologist began to evaluate this syndrome t...
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination and other disabilities, which causes damage to the brain before and during birth. Cerebral palsy is a static disorder of the brain, not a progressive disorder. This mean that the disorder or disease process will not get worse as time goes on. Nor are the motor disorders associated with cerebral palsy temporary. (Miller and Bachrach pg. 3) Cerebral Palsy affects the nervous system by having dysfunctions, in movements such as, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. During the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life Cerebral Palsy occur because the baby's brain is still developing. (CP is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood). Spastic, athetoid, ataxic and dystonic are all different types of Cerebral Palsy. Majority of circumstances with children having CP are unknown, then again numerous results show problems during pregnancy in which the brain is damaged or doesn't develop normally. “This can be due to infections, maternal health problems, a genetic disorder, or something else that interferes with normal brain development.” Cerebral palsy is also caused by injuries and abnormalities of the brain; as the baby grows in the womb these problems occur. Some causes may lead to problems with brain development which include:
According to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, “In the United States, nearly thirteen percent of babies are born preterm, and many of these babies also have a low birth weight.” The baby may be put into the NICU for varies reasons. However, the most common reason that a child is put into the NICU is because he or she is premature. Premature means the baby was born before the 36 weeks. It is never good for a baby to be born early, as this could mean that the baby is not fully developed. There are other factors as to why a child may need to be put into the NICU after birth. For instance, birth defects can be the cause of why a baby is put into the NICU. A baby may be born with an infection such as herpes or chlamydia which can damage the newborns immune system at such a young age. Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can also cause an infant to be put into the NICU. Some maternal factors of why a baby may be put into the NICU is if the mother is “younger than 16 or older than 40.” If the parent may be an alcoholic or expose the baby to drugs, this can put the child into NICU care. If the parent has an STD or sexual transmitted disease, the baby is most likely going to have to be put into the intensive care unit. “Twins, triplets, and other multiples are often admitted into the NICU, as they tend to be born earlier and s...
Riding encourages a child to work with their hands, exercise, and connect with horses and people of all ages, gain confidence, and learn new skills. Courtnee Niggel, an instructor summarizes how “A six year old child was told she will never walk again but after years of equine therapy she is now able to walk with a walker or by holding on to the sides of walls” (Niggel 1). Equine Therapy leaves a child with amazing results and changes their life drastically all the way from growing social skills to helping with motor skills, even to
The name of each condition describes the location and severity of the paralyzed muscles. The first type is Spinal paralytic polio. This is the most common type of the three, it is caused by an infection in the spinal cord. It leaves its victims crippled, producing paralysis in the arms and/or legs. The legs are usually affected more than arms. The second type is Respiratory polio. The polio virus attacks the respiratory or chest muscles, making it difficult or impossible for the patient to breathe without help from a breathing machine. This condition is very dangerous, and may result in death in as much as fifty percent of its victims. The a third type is Bulbar polio. The polio virus attacks the nerve cells that are found just above the spinal cord in the region called the “bulb” or brain stem. These nerve cells control the pharynx (throat) and larynx (voice box) muscles. When these areas are affected, the patient may have serious problems breathing, swallowing, and speaking. This is the most dangerous form of polio. Secretions collect in the throat and may block the airway (trachea), which may cause the patient to suffocate (Polio
The neurological disorder is generally diagnosed in children aged between six and twelve years, the condition affecting boys three times more often than girls (Hamilton, 2002; Gardner, 2008). Despite the fact that DCD affects roughly 6.4 percent of children, few individuals are familiar with the condition (Hamilton, 2002). In fact, a study by Kirby, Davies, & Bryant (2005) revealed that only 54.3% of teachers and 26.7% of general practitioners could accurately define DCD (p. 124). In response, the condition will be briefly outlined here.
Many people around the world today suffer from Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. A movement disorder is a disorder impairing the speed, fluency, quality, and ease of movement. There are many types of movement disorders such as impaired fluency and speed of movement (dyskinesia), excessive movements (hyperkinesia), and slurred movements (hypokinesia). Some types of movement disorders are ataxia, a lack of coordination, Huntington's disease, multiple system atrophies, myoclonus, brief, rapid outbursts of movement, progressive supranuclear palsy, restless legs syndrome, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, tics, Tourette's syndrome, tremor, Wilson disease, dystonia, which causes involuntary body movement, and Parkinson's disease. Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, and tics are one of the most widely known of these disorders, known to impair people of movements and rob them of their lives.