I was introduced to Cerebral Palsy twelve years ago when my mother married my stepfather Henry. They had met when they both were in a nursing home. I was irritated that my mom, who has her own mental problems was marrying a man who needed 24 hour care and didn’t have control over his personal executive functions. They both said they were in love and the wedding happened. It has been twelve years, they are still married, and my mother is the primary caregiver for my stepfather. I am in awe of my mother who deals with her own mental illness and still is able to take care of her husband. I don’t know how she does it, and I don’t understand what my stepfather has. I have decided to explore the world of Cerebral Palsy, so I may understand what my
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William John Little was the first person to pioneer the study of Cerebral Palsy by using his own childhood disability as an inspiration. Sir William Osler, a person who is considered an important figure in furthering modern medicine, wrote the first book on Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Sigmund Freud, who is considered the father of psychoanalysis, proposed the idea that Cerebral Palsy might result from abnormal fetal development – decades before the medical field embraced the concept (Stern, "History of Cerebral Palsy and Origin of Cerebral Palsy", 2016) Cerebral Palsy abbreviated as CP is a term that is used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development; before, during, or shortly after birth; or during infancy. Thus, these disorders are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupt the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture (United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, …show more content…
Less than one tenth of CP cases were caused by oxygen deprivation during birth. Most cases of damage to the brain among cerebral palsy children occurred before they were born - more specifically, during the first six months of pregnancy. “Experts say that anything which tends to cause either a premature birth or a low-weight baby who is not developed enough to cope with the stresses of life outside the womb will raise the risk of cerebral palsy” (Nordqvist, 2015). Factors that can contribute to higher risk of Cerebral Palsy are Multiple births, Damaged placenta, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), Consumption of alcohol by the pregnant mother, Consumption of illegal drugs by the pregnant mother, Exposure to other toxic substances by the pregnant mother, The pregnant mother did not eat properly, Random malformation of the baby's brain, Small pelvic structure of the mother, and Breech delivery (Nordqvist,
William John Little was the first person to pioneer the study of Cerebral Palsy by using his own childhood disability as an inspiration. Sir William Osler, a person who is considered an important figure in furthering modern medicine, wrote the first book on Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Sigmund Freud, who is considered the father of psychoanalysis, proposed the idea that Cerebral Palsy might result from abnormal fetal development – decades before the medical field embraced the concept (Stern, "History of Cerebral Palsy and Origin of Cerebral Palsy", 2016) Cerebral Palsy abbreviated as CP is a term that is used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development; before, during, or shortly after birth; or during infancy. Thus, these disorders are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupt the brain's ability to adequately control movement and posture (United Cerebral Palsy Foundation, …show more content…
Less than one tenth of CP cases were caused by oxygen deprivation during birth. Most cases of damage to the brain among cerebral palsy children occurred before they were born - more specifically, during the first six months of pregnancy. “Experts say that anything which tends to cause either a premature birth or a low-weight baby who is not developed enough to cope with the stresses of life outside the womb will raise the risk of cerebral palsy” (Nordqvist, 2015). Factors that can contribute to higher risk of Cerebral Palsy are Multiple births, Damaged placenta, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), Consumption of alcohol by the pregnant mother, Consumption of illegal drugs by the pregnant mother, Exposure to other toxic substances by the pregnant mother, The pregnant mother did not eat properly, Random malformation of the baby's brain, Small pelvic structure of the mother, and Breech delivery (Nordqvist,