Physical therapy is a crucial form of cerebral palsy therapy. Once a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a physical therapist is one of the first specialists they are sent to. Treatment begins almost immediately following diagnosis.

How do you get cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy is not a contagious disease. In order for someone to have cerebral palsy, they must have sustained an injury to the brain at some point before, during or very shortly after birth.

Sometimes, a baby’s brain may be injured while still in the mother’s womb. This may be caused by an infection or if the mother is injured in some manner. High blood pressure and diabetes may also cause problems for the unborn baby. If the baby does not get enough oxygen problems may also arise.

Simon Connolly suffers from cerebral palsy. He cannot speak, walk or use most of his limbs and yet he's had his home-help hours cut in half by the Health Service Executive (HSE). Meanwhile, he is awaiting two operations and requires constant care.

His HSE-funded home-help time was cut from 12 1/2 hours to just 7 1/2 hours per week, which his mother says is just not sufficient to meet his needs. They were not even given an explanation for this decision.

14-year-old middle schooler Morgan Lawless has cerebral palsy and is one of almost 300 kids who play in a special-needs baseball league in Loganville, Georgia.

"It's actually fun because we get to be kids and we can play like regular people," Lawless said.

According to a study involving researchers at the University of Utah, mothers at high risk of giving birth prematurely may reduce their child's risk of cerebral palsy by taking magnesium sulfate.

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted this study with 2,241 pregnant women from across the United States. Most of the women had preterm ruptured membranes before labor. Prior to delivery, they were randomly given intravenous magnesium sulfate or a placebo.

According to a study involving researchers at the University of Utah, mothers at high risk of giving birth prematurely may reduce their child's risk of cerebral palsy by taking magnesium sulfate.

The New England Journal of Medicine conducted this study with 2,241 pregnant women from across the United States. Most of the women had preterm ruptured membranes before labor. Prior to delivery, they were randomly given intravenous magnesium sulfate or a placebo.

August 27, 2008

I found an interesting cerebral palsy-related article online. In it, a man named Hal Hunsaker describes what it was like to fly to Costa Rica to help a family out.

Adrian and Denise Goldgewicht called Hunsaker and paid for him to fly out and visit children from local orphanages and hospitals. All of these cerebral palsy children were fed through a tube because they had only spastic control of their mouth and tongue.

11-year old Blair Luke is helping with a statewide telethon to raise money to help people with cerebral palsy. The annual fundraiser is performed by Cerebral Palsy of Louisiana, a nonprofit group that offers services to people with cerebral palsy throughout the state.

Some of the services that CP of Louisiana provides are helping to provide medical equipment, special shoes, and programs that include sports.

I read a fascinating report in the Shanghai Daily recently. In it, they describe a cerebral palsy treatment that combines both Chinese and Western methods of therapy.

The method was developed by Lu Shunling, a woman who has cerebral palsy herself. She claims that it has already had a dramatic effect on bedridden children and has helped them lead a more normal life.

Cody Smith is a 16 year old with cerebral palsy. He is similar to other kids his age, in that he likes to hang out with friends and hopes to have his own car someday.

Cody has a hard time getting around and uses his forearm canes to walk. He also rides a mobility scooter. However, he would love to trade it in for a car.

"This will let me be able to go places with my friends. I can be more normal. The scooter is not too cool."