When a child has a health problem, parents want answers. But when a child has cerebral palsy, the answers don't come quickly. A diagnosis of this complex group of chronic conditions affecting movement and coordination is difficult to make and is typically delayed until the child is eighteen months old. Although the condition may be mild or severe, even general predictions about long-term prognosis seldom come before the child's second birthday. Written by a team of experts associated with the Cerebral Palsy Program at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, this authoritative resource provides parents and families with vital information that can help them cope with uncertainty. Thoroughly updated and revised to incorporate the latest medical advances, the second edition is a comprehensive guide to cerebral palsy. The book is organized into three parts. In the first, the authors describe specific patterns of involvement (hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia), explain the medical and psychosocial implications of these conditions, and tell parents how to be effective advocates for their child. In the second part, the authors provide a wealth of practical advice about caregiving from nutrition to mobility. Part three features an extensive alphabetically arranged encyclopedia that defines and describes medical terms and diagnoses, medical and surgical procedures, and orthopedic and other assistive devices. Also included are lists of resources and recommended reading.
Cerebral Palsy in Infancy is a thought-provoking book which introduces a new way of thinking on the development and use of interventions. Relevant to current practice, it advocates early, targeted activity that is focused on increasing muscle activation, training basic actions and minimizing (or preventing) mal-adaptive changes to muscle morphology and function. The authors present recent scientific findings in brain science, movement sciences (developmental biomechanics, motor control mechanisms, motor learning, exercise science) and muscle biology. This knowledge provides the rationale for active intervention, underpinning the need for an early referral to appropriate services. The book features methods for promoting relatively intensive physical activity in young infants without placing a burden on parents which include assistive technologies such as robotics, electronic bilateral limb trainers and baby treadmills. Cerebral Palsy in Infancy begins by specifying the guidelines for training and exercise, outlining the rationale for such intervention. It goes on to cover the fundamentals of neuromotor plasticity and the development and negative effects of limited motor activity on brain organization and corticospinal tract development. Neuromuscular adaptations to impairments and inactivity are discussed along with the General Movement assessment that can provide early diagnosis and prognosis, facilitating very early referral from paediatric specialists to training programs. The book ends with a section featuring various methods of training with the emphasis on preventing/minimizing muscle contracture, stimulating biomechanically critical muscle activity and joint movement. An ideal clinical reference for those working to improve the lives of infants suffering from cerebral palsy. CONTRIBUTORS: Adel Abdullah Alhusaini (Saudi Arabia); David I. Anderson (USA); Nicolas Bayle (France); Roslyn Boyd (Australia); Giovanni Cioni (Italy); Diane L. Damiano (USA); Janet Eyre (UK); Linda Fetters (USA); Mary Galea (Australia); Andrew M Gordon (USA); Martin Gough (UK); Richard L Lieber (USA); Jens Bo Nielsen (Denmark); Micah Perez (Australia); Caroline Teulier (France). "This book provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges of motor development and the consequent impact of poor motor function in later childhood for infants with cerebral palsy (CP)."Reviewed by: Oxford Brookes University on behalf of the British Journal of Occupational Therapy, Dec 2014 conceived and edited by Roberta Shepherd with contributions from internationally renowned expert clinicians and researchers discusses new research and new evidence-based treatment interventions shows how to organize very early and intensive physical activity in young infants to stimulate motor development and growth therapies include the specificity of training and exercise, with emphasis on promoting muscle activity and preventing contracture by active instead of passive stretching methods include new interactive technologies in enhancing home-based training sessions carried out by the infant's family extensive referencing in each chapter for further study chapters feature "Annotations" which illustrate scientific findings
The Cerebral Palsy Tool Kit was created to help you sort through the initial emotions in response to your child or loved one receiving a diagnosis of CP and to answer your questions and concerns related to CP. It will guide you through the initial diagnosis period, direct you to other helpful resources and provide information to you about the different approaches to treating and managing CP.
A great starting point for parents and professionals when they first encounter cerebral palsy, this book provides essential information on causes, types, symptoms and treatments as well as practical tips on everyday considerations such as communication and diet. This positive handbook will help readers more fully understand cerebral palsy.
by A. Berthoz The publication of this volume, edited by Adriano Ferrari and Giovanni Cioni, is a major event for several reasons. Most importantly, it concerns an area of child pathology that has yet to be fully explored. In this context, the authors’ efforts to compile their observations as well as those of other clinicians and to elaborate their theories have resulted in an ess- tial step in the field of cerebral palsy (CP). The originality of the book is its very clear focus, while at the same time the authors have encouraged the book’s contributors to express their ideas and personal opinions. This leads sometimes to redundancy, but this is precisely one of the benefits of the book - cause the same problems are then exposed from different points of views. The reader is thus spared the normative attempts of many other pathology books, in which the compl- ity of a given disease is hidden by the authors’ or editors’ desire to impose a rigid taxo- my or epidemiology.
The book has been designed to provide readers with an understanding of cerebral palsy (CP) as a developmental as well as a neurological condition. It details the nature of CP, its causes and its clinical manifestations. Using clear, accessible language (supported by an extensive glossary) the authors have blended current science with metaphor both to explain the biomedical underpinnings of CP and to share their awareness that there is much that can be done to promote child and family development, enhance the capabilities of young people with CP, empower their families, and chart a course into adulthood. The authors have reviewed classification and have emphasised the wide range of functional impairments that are seen in both children and adults with cerebral palsy. In doing so they have used the ICF framework and have described the range of interventions that may be applicable to people with cerebral palsy whilst emphasising that the condition is lifelong and that promotion of adaptation is a key component to understanding its nature and effects. Essential reading for parents and carers of those with cerebral palsy, clinicians, paediatricians, neurologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
The future is brighter then ever for children with cerebral palsy -- the most common developmental disability among young people today. With advances in medicine, early intervention, and therapy, these children can maximise their potential and lead healthy, rewarding lives. But perhaps the most important influence of all comes from parents who provide constant support and encouragement. This is essential reading for all parents who want to learn about cerebral palsy and how it will affect their child and family.
