Mark your calendars. World Cerebral Palsy Day is upon us later this week…October 6, 2017. It is celebrated each year during the first week of October to raise awareness about the triumphs and trials of the worldwide CP (cerebral palsy) community.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), CP currently affects 1 in every 323 children in the U.S.
It is the most common neuromuscular disability in kids robbing them of movement, balance, and posture. Interestingly though, about half of all children with CP (50-60%) do actually walk on their own. CP is also often accompanied by another challenge such as epilepsy or a learning and developmental disorder like autism.
Even though no two cases of CP are alike, common characteristics of the condition include:
• Inability to walk
• Speech, vision, or hearing impairment
• Frequent seizures
• Disorders of the spine, such as scoliosis
With occurrences of this disability at an all-time high, there is a newfound awareness of it popping up everywhere from network television shows to book characters.
Children with CP are proving active in their classrooms at school, in extracurricular activities like art and music, and some even find their way to summer camps with special facilities designed to make maneuverability for them easy in the outdoors.
At Child Neurology Consultants, we are proud of the personalized care we offer CP patients and their families.
While the origin of most cases of CP is unknown, some can be attributed to genetics, low birthweight or premature birth, infections during pregnancy, and complications during delivery.
Although there is currently no cure for CP, it can be successfully managed. The more awareness brought to and compassion towards this condition, the better future treatment can be for these exceptional kiddos both medically and socially.
