Many children with cerebral palsy have a congenital malformation of the brain, meaning that the malformation existed at birth and was not caused by factors occurring during the birthing process. Not all of these malformations can be seen by the physician, even with today’s most sophisticated scans, but when CP is recognized in a newborn, a congenital malformation is suspected. When a diagnosis of CP is made, the mother and father often feel guilty and wonder what they did to cause their child to have this disorder. While it is certainly true that good prenatal care is an essential part of preventing congenital problems, it must be stated that congenital problems, or “birth defects,” often occur even when the mother has strictly followed her physician’s advice in caring for herself and the developing infant. Though the causes of “birth defects” are usually unknown, we do know that the developing brain can be affected by several factors. When the fetus is exposed to certain chemicals or infections through the expectant mother, for example. The developing brain can be injured if the expectant
mother suffers severe physical trauma, the fetal brain can be injured, too, but this is rare. Finally, prematurity and a low birth weight have been shown to be related to an increased incidence of specific disorders. Many chemicals are known to adversely affect the developing brain, alcohol being the most commonly used. The term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome describes the long-term, multi-system effect of alcohol on a child whose mother abused alcohol during the pregnancy. When a fetus is exposed to large amounts of alcohol, several body systems, including the neurological system will almost certainly suffer damage. Cigarette smoking by the mother has been shown to decrease birth weight, and low birth weight is associated with several disorders, including cerebral palsy. Severe malnutrition in the mother can adversely affect brain growth in the fetus, and it, too, can result in a low birth weight. The use of cocaine or crack by the expectant mother is associated with blood vessel complications, and these complications affect many organs as well as the central nervous system. Cocaine use is increasing and thus becoming more prevalent as cause of brain damage in infants. Most infants whose mothers used cocaine during pregnancy develop mental retardation rather than cerebral palsy, however. Infections such as rubella (German measles), toxoplasmosis, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), ( if a woman has them during pregnancy), also may injure the brain of the fetus. Rubella can be prevented by immunization, prior to becoming pregnant, and the chances of becoming infected with toxoplasmosis can be minimized by not handling the feces of cats and by avoiding raw or uncooked meat.
Congenital infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the virus that causes AIDS) also causes brain damage in children, though it usually causes mental retardation rather than CP. It is likely that many other infections in the expectant mother injure the developing fetus, but they are not recognized as causative factors because the woman who has the infection either does not recognize the symptoms of infection or is symptom-free. Premature infants are at a much higher risk for developing cerebral palsy than full-term babies, and the risk increases as the birth weight decreases. Between 5 and 8 percent of infants weighing less than 1500 grams (3 pounds) at birth develop cerebral palsy, and infants weighing less than 1500 grams are 25 times more likely to develop cerebral palsy than infants who are born at full term weighing more than 2500 grams.
any premature infants suffer bleeding within the brain, called intraventricular hemorrhages, intracranial hemorrhages. Again, the highest frequency of hemorrhages is found in the babies with the lowest weight: the problem is rare in babies who weigh more than 2000 grams (4 pounds). This bleeding may damage the part of the brain that controls motor function and thereby lead to cerebral palsy. If the hemorrhage results in destruction of normal brain tissue (a condition called periventricular leukomalacia) and small cysts around the ventricles and in the motor region of the brain, then that infant is more likely to have CP than an infant with hemorrhages alone. Does prematurity “cause” cerebral palsy, or do some infants who are born prematurely have abnormal brains from the beginning, leading to their premature births? We do not know the answer to this question.
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Sensory Integration International Certification Courses
Sensory Integration International Certification Courses FIRST TIME IN INDIA COMPREHENSIVE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM IN SENSORY INTEGRATION Through University of Southern California(USC) and Western Psychological Services(WPS) ,USA in May /June/October/December 2007 (Total 20 Days)
COURSE I The Sensory Integration Perspective Susanne Smith Roley, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA May 28th through June 1st ,2007, Successfully Completed at Mumbai
COURSE II Specialized Techniques for Measuring Sensory Integration Scheduled for 2008
COURSE III From Interpretation to Intervention December,Scheduled for 2009
COURSE IV Sensory Integration Intervention Erna Imperatore Blanche, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA June 4th through 8th,2007, Successfully Completed at Mumbai.
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- with ma Lecturer…
After Graduating in Bacheolar of Physiotherapy from TN.DR.MGR Medical University,Chennai in 2002,Then went on to do his postgraduate Diploma in Developmental Therapy at Spastics Society of Tamilnadu in 2003-04.He was particularly involved with Cerebral Palsy and additional disabilities including visual impairment, mental retardation,autism,learning disability and adult neurological patients. In 2006, Mr.Loganathan took the first course given in the India by Ms.Joan Day Mohr,Ms.Mary Hallway in 8-week Basic NDT/Bobath certification for children with Cerebral Palsy and other neurological conditions. He has also taken Advanced Level NDT Training with Joan Mohr, Timmie Wallace ,Mary Hallway and Kate Bain,NDT Instructors from USA, Australia.He is also Trained in Sensory Integration with Erna Blanche & Susanne Roley,USA. Mr. Loganathan provides both corporate and private consultations and continues to spend most of his time in private practice. His specialized field of interest for the past several years has been the use of NDT principles in the application for motor impairments along with sensory Integration principles .
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JOAN D.MOHR , Senior NDTA CO-ordinator Instructor, Senior IBITA NDT Instructor
In India
1.Analysis & Treatment in Relation to Function of Gait based on NDT/Bobath Approach——Successfuly Completed on 4-6,January, 2008, Pune, India.
This workshop was ably supported by Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital,Child development centre, Pune——-Dr.Rucha Thorat, OT
2. Trunk Activity in Relation to Lower Extremity Function—An NDT/Bobath Approach—Successfully Completed on 8-10,January, 2008, Hyderabad, India.
This workshop was supported by Siddhartha Medical Foundation, Hyderabad—-Dr.Sravan Kumar Reddy, PT
3. Analysis & Handling for children with Cerabral Palsy & Neuromotor Impairments—-Only Practicum for Dr. Loganathan.G,PT & Dr.Netal Singh,OT at Agra,India on 16, 17, January, 2008—This was supported by SAHAJ Child Development Centre, Agra, India—Dr.Netal Singh,OT
4.Introduction to Adult Hemiplegia-An NDT/Bobath Approach—-SUccessfully Completed on 19-20 January, 2008 , Ludhiana, India.
This workshop was supported by Cortex, Patiala & All saints Medical Institute, Ludhiana—Dr.Narkeesh Arumugam, PT
THERAPY INDIA Heartly Proud and Appreciate the Efforts and dedication for their hours of work to make these workshops successfull.Thanks to
Dr.Rucha Thorat, OT
Dr.Sravan Kumar Reddy,PT
Dr.Netal Singh, OT
Dr.Narkeesh Arumugam,PT
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