When a child has a health problem, parents want answers. But when a child has cerebral palsy, the answers don't come quickly. A diagnosis of this complex group of chronic conditions affecting movement and coordination is difficult to make and is typically delayed until the child is eighteen months old. Although the condition may be mild or severe, even general predictions about long-term prognosis seldom come before the child's second birthday. Written by a team of experts associated with the Cerebral Palsy Program at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, this authoritative resource provides parents and families with vital information that can help them cope with uncertainty. Thoroughly updated and revised to incorporate the latest medical advances, the second edition is a comprehensive guide to cerebral palsy. The book is organized into three parts. In the first, the authors describe specific patterns of involvement (hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia), explain the medical and psychosocial implications of these conditions, and tell parents how to be effective advocates for their child. In the second part, the authors provide a wealth of practical advice about caregiving from nutrition to mobility. Part three features an extensive alphabetically arranged encyclopedia that defines and describes medical terms and diagnoses, medical and surgical procedures, and orthopedic and other assistive devices. Also included are lists of resources and recommended reading.

The 4th edition of Finnie's Handling the Young Child with Cerebral Palsy at Home has been updated to reflect the current practices of today. It aims to help parents assist their child with cerebral palsy (CP) towards achieving the most comfortable independence in all activities. It is hoped to show how, by using typical parenting skills, which involve guiding and exposing a child to develop through challenging experiences, the child with CP will also develop. The book is also intended to help professionals and other carers new to this field understand, support and encourage young children with CP and their families.Over the years since the first edition of this book was written ideas on appropriate therapies have changed and developed. Similarly opinion on early intervention has changed and the method of delivery of service has in some places moved from centralisation to home-based or community provision. The emphasis of this new edition however remains on a holistic approach to the child's needs seeing the difficulties in relation to the overall development of the child as a unique person from childhood to adulthood. - Assessment procedures and prediction of future abilities - Management of problems (including medication if appropriate) such as epilepsy, constipation, eneurisis, nourishment, difficulty with sleeping, crying, temper tantrums, sensory deficits and deformity - Stimulation, fitness, problem solving, compensatory strategies and ease of management - New chapters include Neuroimaging, Epilepsy, Emotional health, Orthotics, Spasticity management, and Complementary and alternative medicine - Over 460 revised illustrations showing different pieces of equipment which may be helpful and ways of holding and moving a child with cerebral palsy - Chapters on Sleeping, Feeding, Lifting and Carrying, Toileting, Communication and Fine motor movement have been completely re-written by a professional specialising in the particular field

Children with complex cerebral palsy (typically, but not always, GMFCS levels IV and V) require skilled management and extensive expertise which can be overwhelming or intimidating for many clinical practitioners. This book explores management of the many medical comorbidities these children encounter, including orthopedic concerns, mobility and equipment needs, cognition and sensory impairment, difficult behaviors, seizures, respiratory complications and nutritional challenges, among many others. Summary points at the end of each chapter provide at-a-glance access to key recommendations. In addition, an Appendix provides adaptable care tools to guide clinicians in evaluation, preventive care and crisis management. Importantly, the book includes contributions from parents of children with cerebral palsy and youth with cerebral palsy, providing unique and critical wisdom for family-centred care. Parents and families of children and youth with complex cerebral palsy will particularly appreciate the inclusion of chapters on adolescence, transition to adulthood, and growing up, growing well with cerebral palsy.

This book provides parents with help for children with cerebral palsy or other developmental delay master gross motor skills beginning in infancy. Organised in the sequence children acquire gross motor skills, this guide explains how motor development unfolds, and how cerebral palsy can affect it.

"Cerebral Palsy (CP) represents one of the most frequent neurological disorder in the infancy and in the childhood. It includes brain injuries or developmental defects. According to the World Health Organization, it is a main problem of public health. It may include communication, intellectual, and motor disabilities with negative consequences on children inclusion in daily life and caregivers burden. Rehabilitative interventions are primarily focused on promoting self-determination and independence of individuals with CP. Postural control, gait, and motor skills are usually embedded. Additionally, one may envisage request and choice programs aimed at enhancing the child's awareness of his/her own behavior. The volume summarizes some illustrative evidence-based contributions to emphasize the effectiveness and the suitability of the adopted programs. Beside stability of upper limbs and motor performance of children with CP (chapter one), the therapeutic effects of a horse riding simulator which was compared to a traditional physiotherapy on the sitting position of children with spastic CP (chapter two), the evaluation of stability in children with different form of CP was assessed through a rehabilitative platform was implemented (chapter three). The aforementioned experimental examinations presented between-groups investigations. Furthermore, four case-report studies were included. Assistive technology-based setups were used to promote an active role, constructive engagement, and positive participation of the enrolled children with CP and intellectual disabilities. The beneficial outcomes on their quality of life were considered. Chapter four describes a microswitch-based program to enhance ambulation responses of a child with CP. Chapter five provides a detailed illustration of such program to support locomotion fluency. Chapter six illustrates a cluster-technology aimed at pursuing the dual goal of fostering an adaptive response and reducing a challenging behavior. Chapter seven refers to a computerized system focused on enabling a child with CP and intellectual delays with academic performance and communication opportunities. Whenever available, the effects on indices of happiness and/or positive participation were analyzed. Social validation procedures involving external raters were conducted. Practical features of the retained treatments were privileged. Clinical, educational, psychological, and rehabilitative implications of the findings were systematically and critically discussed. Caregivers, educators, families of children with CP, practitioners, psychologists, speech and occupational therapists, medicine or psychology students, and teachers may find some useful insights for both research and practice in daily life settings"--

New edition, completely rewritten, with new chapters on endovascular surgery and mitochrondrial and ion channel disorders.

Expanded and revised, this unique book provides concise descriptions of the many causes of epilepsy, for use in clinical practice.

The only complete, scientifically rigorous, fully integrated reference giving a wide ranging and in-depth perspective on cerebral palsy and related neurodevelopment disabilities. It considers all aspects of cerebral palsy from the causes to clinical problems and their implications for individuals. Leading scientists present the evidence on the role of pre-term birth, inflammation, hypoxia, endocrinological and other pathways. They explore opportunities for neuroprotection leading to clinical applications. An international team of experts provides clinicians and researchers with key information on the mechanisms underlying impairments in movement, development, cognition, communication, vision, feeding, behaviour, sexuality, and musculoskeletal deformities. They present a wide range of person-centred assessment approaches, including clinical evaluation, measurement scales, neuroimaging and gait analysis. The principles of multi-disciplinary management are presented, in terms of therapist intervention, medication and surgery. The perspective of the book spans the lifelong course of cerebral palsy, taking into account worldwide differences in socio-economic and cultural factors. Many chapters are illustrated with clinical vignettes enabling direct translation into practice. Full integrated colour, with extensive cross-referencing make this a highly attractive and useful reference.

An in-depth, practical resource, it is a must for physicians, nurses, therapists, educators, social workers, home visitors, and families who want to make sound, collaborative caregiving decisions.

The future is brighter then ever for children with cerebral palsy -- the most common developmental disability among young people today. With advances in medicine, early intervention, and therapy, these children can maximise their potential and lead healthy, rewarding lives. But perhaps the most important influence of all comes from parents who provide constant support and encouragement. This is essential reading for all parents who want to learn about cerebral palsy and how it will affect their child and family.