Out of My Mind
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Melody has Cerebral Palsy (say: seh-ree-brel pawl-zee).
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 kid 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 kid might not be able to walk, talk, eat, or play the way most kids do.
The brain damage that leads to cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities.
There is no cure for CP, but treatment, therapy, special equipment, and, in some cases, surgery can help a child who is living with the condition.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the United States have the condition.
The three types of CP are:
- spastic cerebral palsy — causes stiffness and movement difficulties
- athetoid cerebral palsy — leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements
- ataxic cerebral palsy — causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception
Causes of Cerebral Palsy - The exact causes of most cases of CP are unknown, but many are the result of problems during pregnancy in which the brain is either damaged or doesn't develop normally. This can be due to infections, maternal health problems, a genetic disorder, or something else that interferes with normal brain development.
Brain damage in infancy or early childhood can also lead to CP. A baby or toddler might suffer this damage because of lead poisoning, bacterial meningitis, malnutrition, being shaken as an infant (shaken baby syndrome), or being in a car accident while not properly restrained.
Facts about Cerebral Palsy:
- Cerebral palsy is diagnosed more often in boys than it is in girls
- About 50 percent of cerebral palsy children are born prematurely
- 25 percent of children with cerebral palsy also suffer from seizures
- 60 percent of those with cerebral palsy have normal or above average intelligence
- 30 percent of cerebral palsy children have severe learning disabilities
- 1/3 of children with cerebral palsy cannot walk and 1/4 cannot dress or feed themselves
- The number of children being diagnosed with cerebral palsy is increasing worldwide