What is cerebral palsy?
— Cerebral palsy is a disorder that causes problems with movement and balance. In other words, cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Cerebral palsy means “brain condition causing paralysis.”
Some babies are born with cerebral palsy, but others get the disorder later. Babies with cerebral palsy are often slow to roll over, sit, crawl, or walk. The symptoms last for life but don’t worsen over time.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the leading cause of childhood neurodisability in Nigeria. Affected children face the added burden of stigmatization, poverty, inadequate facilities for rehabilitative care and diminished educational opportunities. In fact, people adduce causes of cerebral palsy to witchcraft and the special child is tagged “bad luck”.
What are the causes of Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy is a lifelong condition that affects movement and coordination. Cerebral Palsy causes and symptoms differ from person to person.
The leading risk factors for Cerebral Palsy were severe perinatal asphyxia, bilirubin encephalopathy, intracranial infections and prematurity.
Other causes of cerebral palsy include birth defect, head injury, multiple birth, fever during pregnancy, Rh causes, intrauterine infections, brain infections, premature birth, seizures, etc
What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?
— The symptoms of cerebral palsy can be mild or more serious. Many symptoms are caused by weakness or stiffness of parts of the body. These symptoms change as the baby gets older.
Many children with cerebral palsy also have other problems, including:
¡ Trouble drinking or eating – This can lead to other problems, including:
• Not gaining enough weight
• Choking
¡ Lung infections
¡ Trouble thinking and learning
¡ Problems with hearing and speaking
¡ Trouble seeing – Many children with cerebral palsy have one eye that turns in or out.
¡ Seizures – Seizures are waves of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. They can make a child pass out, move, or behave strangely.
¡ Short limbs – A child with symptoms of cerebral palsy on one side of the body might have a shorter leg or arm on the affected side.
¡ A curved spine (called “scoliosis”)
¡ Stiff joints
¡ Problems with “spatial awareness” – This means the child cannot tell the position of their arm, leg, or hand.
Are there tests for cerebral palsy?
— Yes. Your child’s doctor or nurse might be able to tell if your child has cerebral palsy by doing an exam and learning about your child’s symptoms. But doctors can’t always tell because children develop at different rates during the first two years of life. They might refer you to a specialist to help find out if your child has cerebral palsy.
Possible tests include:
¡ An MRI – This imaging test takes pictures of the inside of the brain.
¡ An EEG – An EEG is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain and records brain wave patterns. A doctor might do this test if your child has seizures.
How is cerebral palsy treated?
— Your doctor will refer you to an “early intervention” program. These programs have different types of experts. They will teach you how to help your child do everyday things they might have trouble doing. These include eating, speaking, walking, and learning.
Treatments include:
● Medicines – Your child’s doctor might prescribe medicines that help treat symptoms such as stiff muscles, unusual body movements, or seizures.
¡ Equipment – These include leg braces, walkers, or a wheelchair to help your child get around.
¡Nutrition – Some children need special diets to help them gain enough weight to be healthy. Some children need to get some or all of their food through a tube directly into the stomach. This is called a “gastrostomy tube” or “g-tube.”
¡Surgery – For children with very severe symptoms, doctors sometimes do surgery to put the child’s legs or arms into the correct position.
What will my child’s life be like?
— Children with mild forms of cerebral palsy often live as long as people who don’t have the disorder. Children with more severe forms of the disease might not live as long. Special equipment and teaching can help your child move and learn as much as possible.
Which way forward for people with Cerebral Palsy in Nigeria?
Unlike most developed countries, there are little or no support for the people with disabilities in Nigeria. Most Nigerians with Cerebral Palsy are left without significant care. Most of these people are abandoned or left to seek alms for survival. There are few centers established to help people with cerebral palsy disabilities. Some of these centers include The Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD); Open Doors for Special Learners; Leonard Cheshire Foundation Nigeria; FENRAD Nigeria; Christoffel Bliden Mission (CBM) Maidugri, Nigeria; National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC); Rehabilitation International in Nigeria (RI); Plateau State Commission on Disability; Lagos State Office on Disability Matters; International School of Disability Studies (ISDS), etc
MKO Abimbola holds a doctoral degree in physician associate studies from the United States of America. He is a Harvard Medical School scholar, who specializes in Internal medicine, Acute care, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgical services.
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