Helpline for cerebral palsy patients launched in city

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 22

Ashirwad, a centre for early intervention and rehabilitation of children with developmental disabilities run by the North India Cerebral Palsy Association (NICPA), Ludhiana, has launched a helpline number for cerebral palsy patients.

Dr Neelam Sodhi, director of Ashirwad, said: “Ashirwad has recently launched a helpline service, 9878789218, on which people and parents of children with developmental delays can call or message to get information and advice between 9 am and 5 pm.”

Dr Sodhi said it is important for the parents of children with cerebral palsy to understand their child’s problem and become aware of the programmes and organisations that are available in the city to provide families with vital supports. It is also important for the parents of such children to be aware of a child’s physical, emotional, social, educational and familial needs and goals.

She said: “With proper guidance and training, it is very much possible to include children with disabilities into main stream studies”.

Cerebral palsy is a poorly understood condition among the public and parents alike.

Many parents are devastated by the diagnosis and hope that their child will grow out of it on their own and start using their muscles better. There are several common misconceptions, which parents normally have about the condition.

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy

One of the earliest signs of mild to moderate cerebral palsy is gross motor development delay. Children with gross motor delays achieve critical physical movement milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up and crawling, later than their peers, or they do not achieve these milestones at all.

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive lesion, an abnormality in the brain structure or function in a developing brain. The brain lesion will not worsen, but neither will it get better. Children with cerebral palsy grow up to be adults with cerebral palsy. In fact, the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy such as spastic muscles, poor balance and gross motor delays will get worse without treatment. It is physically strenuous to look after an adult with cerebral palsy who is highly dependent on others for his movements.