March is National Cerebral Palsy Month in the United States and is an opportunity to highlight the history of cerebral palsy advocacy - where we’ve been, where we are currently, and the opportunities that are ahead.
Cynthia Frisina discusses the purpose and importance of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and Day to bring people together to advocate for better healthcare, research advancements, funding and more those with CP and their families.
Dental Professors, Dr. Erica Caffrey, DDS and Dr. Sydnee Chavis, DMD, MS discuss oral health and dentistry across the lifespan.
Our research shows that higher Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was associated with a greater risk of fracture, which is opposite of what we would expect. When we picked apart the BMD ratio we found that bone size had the strongest association with fracture risk, such that smaller bones had a greater risk.
People with disabilities represent more than 27% of the United States adult population, making them the single largest minority group in the country. This new NIH designation, new research program and update to NIH mission are actions to ensure inclusion of people with disabilities.
The bipartisan, Cerebral Palsy Research Act, is introduced by Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee. Read more here:
The 2023 Appropriations Act has passed and thanks to advocacy by the cerebral palsy community, it includes the strongest language and funding yet for cerebral palsy!
On Thursday, March 24th, 2022, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation hosted the first ever Cerebral Palsy Congressional Briefing with a panel of physicians, patient and self advocates.
Good nutrition is critical for your child's healthy brain development. It's not uncommon for families to struggle getting enough food to eat. If you feel like you haven't had enough food to feed your whole family in the last month, please talk to someone. This is a common problem.
Drooling is an important problem for many individuals with CP and there are a number of interventions available to treat symptoms. If an individual with CP or their caregiver have concerns about drooling it is important to discuss with a health care provider. Care pathways such as the AACPDM pathway can be a starting point for shared decision making. In all cases, working together as a team is important in choosing the best alternative. Children and adults with CP may have trouble with drooling, or saliva management. In the medical world, drooling is referred to as sialorrhea. Saliva plays an important role in eating but also can interfere with airway clearance and breathing, as well as social participation. When drooling has this kind of impact it becomes important to consider intervention.
Many children with cerebral palsy (CP) have difficulty controlling saliva. Drooling varies in severity and can be distressing for the children, families and caregivers. Chronic drooling is referred to as Sialorrhea and occurs as a result of limitations in a person’s ability to control and swallow oral secretions.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia, or OPD, is an impairment of the oral or pharyngeal phases of the swallow. This can impair muscle movements and coordination of the mouth, such as the lips, tongue, jaw, cheeks, palate, and also muscles of the pharynx and the entry to the airway.
Weight, height and body composition are important indicators for development. The tools used to measure these can be different for children with cerebral palsy.
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often grow poorly and assessment of growth in this population is further complicated by two main difficulties. Firstly, children may have joint contractures, muscular weakness, scoliosis, and/or involuntary movements that make standing or lying straight difficult, if not impossible.
When we have a physical disability, our bones can get a bit weak or osteoporotic. Something that can be improved is promoting bone health for people with cerebral palsy.
