About Cerebral Palsy
Some children with Cerebral Palsy use wheelchairs and others walk with the help of crutches or braces. In some cases, a childs speech may be affected or the person might not be able to speak at all.
Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects thousands of babies and children each year. It is not contagious, which means you can't catch it from anyone who has it. The word cerebral means having to do with the brain. The word palsy means a weakness or problem in the way a person moves or positions his or her body.
A child with CP has trouble controlling the muscles of the body. Normally, the brain tells the rest of the body exactly what to do and when to do it. But because CP affects the brain, depending on what part of the brain is affected, a child might not be able to walk, talk, eat, or play the way most kids do.
Types of CP
There are three types of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetoid, and ataxic.
The most common type of CP is spastic. A child with spastic CP can't relax his or her muscles or the muscles may be stiff.
Athetoid CP affects a childs ability to control the muscles of the body. This means that the arms or legs that are affected by athetoid CP may flutter and move suddenly. A child with ataxic CP has problems with balance and coordination.
For some babies, injuries to the brain during pregnancy or soon after birth may cause CP. Children most at risk of developing CP are small, premature babies (babies who are born many weeks before they were supposed to be born) and babies who need to be on a ventilator (a machine to help with breathing) for several weeks or longer. But for most kids with CP, the problem in the brain occurs before birth. Often, doctors don't know why.
Information from – www.kidshealth.org
Personal & Parental Experiences
Christina - Worcester Drought Syndrome: read more...
Marie - Mild Cerebral Palsy: read more...
Tash - Grade 5: read more...
Vikki - Physical: read more...
Charity Links
Scope - www.scope.org.uk
Our vision is a world where disabled people have the same opportunities to fulfil their life ambitions as non-disabled people. Our purpose is to drive the changes that will make our society the first in which disabled people are able to realise their full civil liberties and human rights.
Worthing & District Scope - www.worthingscope.org.uk
Worthing and District Scope was first formed in 1965 by a group of parents with children with cerebral palsy, their friends and a local Councillor. In 1968 it took over the lease of a bungalow in Pavilion Road, Worthing, and a Day Centre was opened. This building now houses day services for adults with cerebral palsy and associated disorders, and continues to provide the administrative base for all Worthing and District Scope's activities.
The organisation provides support to individuals and families whose lives are affected by cerebral palsy, living in the Worthing District and surrounding area.
