SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010

10 AM AT RAJ BHAVAN

The
Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy
a professional organization dedicated to
provide comprehensive services to the children and their family was
inaugurated
in December 2005.

The
academy has members totaling 500 from various disciplines, such as
Developmental Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Physiotherapy,
Occupational
Therapy, Speech Pathology, Psychology, Special Education, Social
Service,
Orthotics, Neurologists, Psychiatry and Neuro Surgery.

The
Founder President was Late Dr. Mulla Feroze who had done yeoman
services and
was the first Orthopedic Surgeon to call for children with Cerebral
Palsy.

October
3 is Dr. Mulla Feroze’s birthday. In her honour and also towards
creating
awareness to the public in our country, the Academy has decided to
celebrate “CEREBRAL PALSY DAY” on October 3^rd
every year.

We are
very happy to inform that His Excellency Shri Bhardwaj, Governor of
Karnataka, has graciously agreed to flag off The Walkathon   on
Sunday October 3rd 2010 at 10 a.m. from
Raj Bhavan.

After
the flag off from Raj Bhavan, the walkathon will continue on Raj Bhavan
Road
turn right at Minsk Square and proceed to the Rotary International
building on
Lavelle Road.

Parents
meeting with expert panel discussion on Cerebral Palsy will be held at
the
Rotary Auditorium.

Participants
in
the celebration of Cerebral Palsy Day will be parents, staff,
volunteers and children.

Kindly request you to
participate personally on
Sunday October 3rd, 2010.

With
Warm Regards

Dr.
M. S. Mahadeviah

Medical
Director – Spastics Society of Karnataka

Convener
Walkathon

What
is cerebral
palsy? 

Cerebral Palsy is a term used to describe a group of
chronic
conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is
caused by
damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring
during
fetal development; before, during or shortly following birth; or during
infancy.

"Cerebral" refers to
the brain and "palsy" to
muscle weakness or poor coordination which is often but not always a
symptom.

Cerebral
palsy can be severe, such
as total inability to control body movements, or mild, such
as
a  slight speech impairment.
Depending upon which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more
of the
following may occur:

• muscle tightness or spasm
• involuntary movement
• disturbance in gait and
  mobility

In
addition, the following may occur: abnormal
sensation and perception; impairment of sight, hearing or speech;
seizures; and
mental retardation.

Cerebral
palsy is NOT a
disease and should never be referred to as such. It is NOT hereditary,
communicable,
progressive or a primary cause of death.

What
are the
causes? 

A large number of factors can injure the developing brain and produce
cerebral
palsy. One important cause is an insufficient amount of oxygen reaching
the
fetal or newborn brain. Oxygen supply can be interrupted by premature
separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus, awkward birth
position
of the baby, labor that is too long or too abrupt, or interference with
circulation
in the umbilical cord.

Other known
causes are:

• premature birth
• low birth weight (often
  associated with multiple births)
• RH or A-B-O blood type
  incompatibility between mother and infant
• infection of the mother
  with German measles or other viruses in early pregnancy
• micro-organisms that
  attack the infant's central nervous system

Most causes
of cerebral palsy are related to the
developmental and birth processes. In these cases, the condition is
called congenital cerebral palsy. A less common type is
acquired cerebral palsy which usually occurs before two
years of age and is caused by such external factors as head injury
(vehicle
accidents, falls, child abuse) or brain infection.

What
are the different
types of cerebral palsy? 

There are three main types:

• Spastic -- stiff and
  difficult movement caused by permanently contracted muscles
• Dyskinetic -- involuntary
  and uncontrolled movement
• Ataxic -- disturbed sense
  of balance and depth perception.
• Mixed – Spastic and
  Dyskinetic.

There may
also be a mixture of these types for
any individual.

How
many people
have cerebral palsy? 

Estimated that 2 to 4 children per thousand have cerebral palsy.

Can
cerebral
palsy be managed?

In dealing with cerebral palsy, "management" is a better word than
"treatment." Management helps the individual achieve maximum
potential in growth and development. The earlier that the condition is
identified and a management program undertaken, the better. A
management
program for a young child includes attention to the child's movement,
learning,
independent self-help skills, speech, hearing, vision and social and
emotional
development. Certain medications, surgery, and orthotics may help nerve
and
muscle coordination and prevent dysfunction.

As an
individual matures, additional support services
may be offered, such as personal assistance, continuing therapy,
educational
and vocational training, housing services, counseling, transportation,
recreation/leisure programs, employment opportunities, and assistive
technology
resources.

Many adults
with cerebral palsy go to college,
have jobs, get married, raise families, and live in homes of their own.

Can
cerebral
palsy be prevented? 

Prevention is increasingly possible today. Pregnant women are tested
routinely
for the RH factor. If negative, the baby can be given an exchange
transfusion
after birth and the mother can be immunized to prevent blood
incompatibility in
a subsequent pregnancy. If a newborn has jaundice, this can be treated
by
phototherapy in the hospital.

Other
programs are directed toward preventing
premature birth, reducing exposure of pregnant women to viruses and
infections,
controlling diabetes, anemia and other nutritional deficiencies, and
reducing
unnecessary exposure to X-rays, drugs, alcohol, nicotine and
medication. Good prenatal
care is of great importance to assure a healthy full-term pregnancy.  Full immunization of children, to prevent
tuberculosis, measles, mumps – Rubella and other diseases,.

For more
information about cerebral palsy
contact

Spastics
Society of Karnataka, Bangalore

31, 5th
Main 5th Cross Indiranagar Ist Stage
Bangalore 5600038,  Telephone 40745900                                                                                                  
email: office@spasticssocietyofkarnataka.org

NIMHANS

Dharmaram
College Post, Dairy Circle, Hosur
Road, Bangalore 560 029,               
Telephone 2695000,2695001

Association
for Persons with Disabilities

6^th
cross, Hutchins Road,
Lingarajapuram, St Thomas Town Post, Bangalore 560084, Telephone
25475861.  email ablehand@vsnl.com                                                                                                                                        

Shristi
Special Academy School

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