Cerebral Palsy Awareness

       March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month.  For those of you, dear readers, who do not know, Feisty Pants' main diagnosis is Severe Spastic Tetraplegic Cerebral Palsy due to Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy due to Traumatic Brain Injury at birth.  (It gets all those caps because I tread warily around mine enemies.) Since Cerebral Palsy is such an intimate part of our lives and thus the cause is near and dear to my heart, I thought I would make this post about spreading awareness of the condition and post some helpful links.

      Cerebral Palsy is the term used for several neurological disorders that appear in infancy or childhood and cause movement disorders and muscular issues. Basically, they are disorders of movement and posture caused by damage to or abnormal development of the cerebral cortex of the brain (the motor control area).  It is nonprogressive (will not get worse) and up to now, has no cure.  (C'mon Universe!!!) Unlike what is actually often believed, only 5 to 10% is caused by birth trauma.  (That is what happened in Feisty Pants' case.)  The other causes are possible abnormal brain development, premature birth, brain injuries in the first few years of life. You can also add seizures and serious infections to the list too.

       What happens in CP, and this is a very basic overview, is that the brain cannot lay down new patterns over the basic primitive infantile movement reflexes properly. The pathways have a harder time forming, if they do at all. It leaves one with rebellious muscles and reflexes that will not obey one's command and make normal movement difficult. I'm probably understating this.  There are two kinds that I know of personally (know more? add it in the comments) spastic and athetoid.  Spastic involves the muscles contorting and contracting when they shouldn't.  FP cannot, for example, lift an arm with out her head turning, due the strength of her infantile reflex that we are all born with.      Athetoid usually involves an overflow of information travelling the nerves- seen in people whose cp leaves the movements looking jerky or random like.   

        There is, so far, no cure but treatments and therapies are developing all the time. (C'mon stem cells!!!) The best hope right now is lots and LOTS of early intervention.   Therapy. Therapy. Therapy.  (Oh and btw, insurance people who are cutting back on therapies right now, there is a special place in hell for all of you.  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU.)  If you need or want to know more  start with these links.  (Know any other links? Add them in the comments. Knowledge is power, people, share the wealth.)

National Instituteof Neurological Disorders and Stroke- the NIH page for CP

United Cerebral Palsy- national organization page

Handicapped Children's Association- serves as Greater Binghamton Area's local UCP chapter

Family Resource Network- a great source for kids with disabilities

Parent to Parent of New York State- great resource for networking  (Not in NY? google your state's version)