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The Health | february, 2019
junior
NOTICE IT EARLY: Early detection for cerebral palsy is important to ensure the children has a brighter
future and can live up to their full potential.
Our strong kids
Children living with cerebral palsy are unique, and shouldn’t
be defined by their condition
T
here are various life-long health
conditions affecting our children, and it
debilitates and categorises them as a dis-
abled person. Those who have physical and
mental disabilities are prone to be treated
differently, which can be unfair to them.
In 2010, 445,006 children with disabilities have
been recorded in Malaysia, and around 1.6 percent out
of the 28.3 million Malaysians are living with some
form of disability.
According to Norshafiqah Mat Rabi, a physiotherapy
from Flex Physiotherapy Centre, cerebral palsy is one
of those disabilities currently affecting our children
and youth in Malaysia.
“In the Accardo research (2008), it is stated that
cerebral palsy is the biggest disability to affect chil-
dren,” says Norshafiqah.
The cause for cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (pronounced seh-ree-brel pawl-zee) is a
disability where there were damage to the brain during
the early life of the individual, which leads to loss of
body coordination and muscle control.
“The damage on the brain usually occurs when the
individual is still inside the mother’s womb, during
birth, or in the early years of life,” she tells.
Moreover, accidents, abuse, negligence, infection
and injuries are the main factors of one to have cerebral
palsy. Physiotherapist Wan Muhamad Zahid Wan
Zulkifli, also from Flex Flex Physiotherapy Centre
also lent his take on the matter. “Cerebral palsy occurs
in one or two in every 2000 babies born, and it is 10
times more prevalent among babies born immaturely
or underweight.”
“The damage occurred on the brain will be life-long,
but it will not worsen over any period of time,” he adds.
This is what was meant by the statement in which
cerebral palsy is a life-long condition, our kids who
have it will live with it all their lives.
On a grimmer note, 87 percent of kids with the
condition continue to live their life until adulthood,
with an average lifespan of 30 years old.
The difference in disability
The level of disability one with cerebral palsy would
Early signs of cerebral palsy
in babies to look out for
• Limbs that are too weak (low muscle tension)
or too tensed (high muscle tension).
• Doesn’t achieve normal growth development
on time, such as rolling, lifting the head, sitting,
crawling, standing, walking, holding onto
objects, and smiling, among others.
• Other symptoms occurring such as epileptic
seizures, difficulty in breathing, poor sight, poor
hearing, and speech impediment.
• Difficulty in sucking and swallowing
beverages.
• Abnormal crying, either too weak or
too loud.
Norshafiqah Mat Rabi,
Physiotherapist at Flex
Physiotherapy Centre,
Wakaf Che Yeh
Wan Muhammad
Zahid Wan Zulkifli,
Physiotherapist at Flex
Physiotherapy Centre,
Wakaf Che Yeh
have varies from individual to another.
“The damage to the brain varies in seriousness, and
therefore affects their level of disabilities differently
as well. It can be very mild to very severe, depending
on the brain damage severity,” says Wan.
Usually for children living with mild cerebral palsy,
they are able to perform normal daily activities with-
out needing much assistance. On the other hand, ones
with severe condition will need help for the simplest
of things, such as eating, drinking, and moving from
place to place.
Identifying and managing
“Normally, babies who have cerebral palsy will not
show signs of it at birth, instead will start showing
symptoms of it within the first 18 months to 3 years of
their lives. However, severe form of the condition can
be detected as early as the first 3 months since birth,”
Wan explains.
As for the condition itself, is it treatable? To this,
Norshafiqah explains;
“There is no actual treatment for cerebral palsy.
However, children can manage and improve on their
coordination and muscle control through physio-
therapy, work therapy, speech therapy, and medication
to manage muscle tension and epilepsy. — The Health
Normally, babies who have cerebral palsy will not
show signs of it at birth, instead will start showing
symptoms of it within the first 18 months to 3 years
of their lives. However, severe form of the condition
can be detected as early as the first 3 months since
birth.” – Wan Muhammad Zahid