How to handle Patients with Cerebral Palsy

How to handle Patients with Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy is a generic term that describes a group of disorders affecting a person's ability to be mobile. It occurs during pregnancy or shortly after birth, and affects the development of the brain. It can affect people in different ways, and can affect body movement, muscle control and coordination, relax, posture, and balance. There is no typical case of cerebral palsy, so people can walk, but with limitations, other may be confined to a wheelchair unable to walk. One patient I am familiar with is a twin, born with no complications. At 3 months of age she had a routine hernia surgery, and anesthesia complications occurred, this patient was then diagnosed with CP, and would never communicate verbally. People that are diagnosed with this condition generally have some learning disabilities that can range from mild to severe. A portion of the individuals suffer complications with their voice box, and may be unable to communicate verbally. Many people with cerebral palsy have community jobs, however a day service program is an option available as well. A person with this condition may be in a wheelchair, unable to talk with limited mobility. A common problem is the inability to chew food and swallow correctly.

Grinding foods is often required for the CP patient. In some rare cases, feeding via a stomach tube may be necessary.

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Patient Care with Cerebral Palsy Individuals with cerebral palsy tend to have more health related problems, and make more trips to the hospital. When you have a patient with this condition, there are some factors to consider in providing care. They may have special needs when it comes to communication. This will be fairly obvious to determine, and if the communication is limited, check to see about including the guardian in conversations. When approaching the patient to provide treatment or care, explain everything in detail. Many patients with this condition are very sensitive to touch and sound, so explaining ahead of time will ensure the patient is more comfortable.

Talking as you proceed may distract from the procedure and put the patient more at ease.

When working with a patient with this condition, keep in mind, they have a medical condition, however they are not children. A major complaint of cerebral palsy patients is that they are treated like children. People tend to

talk down to them, which many consider an insult. Speak with them as you would any other patient, and if there is a lack of understanding you can adjust the verbiage accordingly. The patient should have extra care regarding breathing; many with this condition have lung conditions that can escalate during other illnesses.

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Cerebral Palsy Facts There is a large population, although many have passed away, of individuals in the age range born 1935-1950. This was the when a very popular drug was being administered to women in labor, it was known as the twilight drug. This drug was not studied extensively, and was used over a 15 year period before it was determined that in fact it caused severe birth defects, one of which was cerebral palsy. The drug was used to relax the mom during the labor process, and that did work. The problem was that while it helped the mother, it did not help the unborn baby. It affected the baby's brain and spinal cord, because multiple issues for most mothers that were administered the drug. At that time, there was not fast means of communication, no internet, or fax machines, so it took some time to spread the word that this drug was not safe for unborn babies. The drug was taken off the market in 1950, however during that 15 year time span more babies were born with birth defects than ever recorded in history. Other factors can enter the picture to cause this condition, a very slow birthing process is thought to have some impact, which is why in many cases cesareans are recommended when the baby does not appear to enter the birth canal correctly and fast enough.

Cerebral palsy is a condition, and not a disease. It’s often a pleasure to work with a unique patient with special needs. You may get to see the world in a whole new way. For more information on cerebral palsy, visit the national cerebral palsy foundation website.

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