World Cerebral Palsy Day
Today we supported World Cerebral Palsy Day (October 6th) by going green and getting educated! World CP Day is a campaign to improve public awareness, civil rights, medical therapies, quality of life and access to education for people with cerebral palsy (CP). To help spread the word, here are 6 quick facts about CP:
CP is an umbrella term for a group of life-long disorders that can affect muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. The severity of CP varies and may improve or worsen over time.
CP is the most common childhood motor disability. In Canada, it is estimated that 1 in 500 babies, and up to 1 in 3 premature babies, is affected by CP.
Most CP is related to brain damage that happened before or during birth (congenital CP), though a small percentage is caused by brain damage >28 days after birth (acquired CP).
There are several risk factors for CP, including: low birth weight, premature birth, being born a twin or multiple, maternal infection during pregnancy, untreated newborn jaundice, complications during birth, or meningitis.
CP manifests in different forms based on the location of brain damage: spastic (motor cortex), dyskinetic (basal ganglia) and ataxic (cerebellum). Some individuals have multiple motor forms.
Individuals with CP may experience a range of associated physical and/or cognitive impairments. Common examples include: pain (75% of people with CP), intellectual disability (50%), epilepsy (25%) and inability to walk and/or talk (25%).
With the support of families, communities, governments and health professionals, children with cerebral palsy can lead healthy and fulfilling lives. If you want to advocate for CP awareness, join the #gogreen4CP or Move as One campaigns this weekend! You can find more information at: www.worldcpday.org.
