This is a physical and mental disability of the child.
Almost all of us who live a healthy and beautiful life
never think - our life can change completely due to any unawareness, we can
fall into any problem or suffering.
The birth of a child in a family means a blessing
received by God's grace, a treasure of many efforts. But due to a little
ignorance or carelessness, all the joy can be ruined! So not only giving birth,
we need to know to fulfill the responsibility of giving a healthy life to the
child who is going to be born.
The elder of my sister's two children is affected by
this problem. My sister used to work in a bank. Everyone knows that working in
a bank is very stressful. But she continued to work without paying attention to
this pressure. Whenever someone asked her, she would say that she was fine and
there was no problem. She even told the doctor this all the time.
But she could not even imagine the immense suffering
she was causing through her own ignorance. When she went for a regular check-up
in the eighth month, it was discovered that she was at risk of eclampsia. The
condition was so serious that the doctor immediately admitted her to the
clinic. She was not allowed to return home. After trying to give birth
naturally, she failed and performed a forceps delivery to save the mother's
life.
Her child also survived, but had to be kept in an
incubator for a few days as it was an incomplete baby.
Finally, the child was diagnosed with cerebral palsy
at the age of two. That's when I came to know about this disease.
Therefore, one should not only want a child, but also
want a healthy child. And while planning a pregnancy, one should also pay full
attention to the health of the mother-to-be, one should know and follow all the
rules. Just saying I am fine does not mean that I am fine. It is not enough to
look to the doctor for no reason, one should understand one's own good.
A lot can be learned from the research reports of
pediatricians, such as - a child can be affected by cerebral palsy at any time
during birth or up to the age of two after birth.
Experts say –
(1) This
is a complex neurodevelopmental problem. A child can be affected by this
problem due to brain injury, lack of oxygen in some way, or seizures. If the
fetus is affected by lack of oxygen due to blood supply or various infections,
the development and growth of the child's brain can be disrupted.
(2) Infection
can impair the development and growth of a baby's brain.
(3) Newborns
who are born prematurely, especially those with a low birth weight or who weigh
less than 1000 grams, may have damage to their nervous system due to bleeding
in the brain.
(4) Children
may develop a physical disability called cerebral palsy due to complications
during pregnancy or childbirth.
(5) A
baby may also develop such problems due to complications caused by high
bilirubin levels after birth due to complications caused by Rh blood group
incompatibility between the mother and the baby.
How
to understand? –
The doctor says - The research report says - these
children lag behind in terms of being able to keep their neck straight, sitting,
standing, walking, etc. Their hands and feet are stiff. When trying to grab an
object or object, they cannot hold it with balance or harmony on both sides of
the body. While crawling, there are signs of dragging one side of the limb.
Sometimes these children are troubled by problems related to speech or speech
development - vision - intelligence. Some of them suffer from seizures.
What
to do? –
The doctor says - It is possible to diagnose the
disease early by knowing the patient's history and through physical
examination. Sometimes the child's eyes, ears, speech, psychological tests,
EEG, brain MRI, etc. are required to be tested for the disease.
Such children need to be treated in a child
development center by a pediatrician, physiotherapist, speech and occupational
therapist, psychiatrist, social worker - all in coordination.
Parents need to be properly trained in the daily
activities of the child such as feeding, bathing, dressing, and follow-up
therapy.
Speech and language therapy can improve the condition
of the child. As a result, the child becomes skilled in communicating and
understanding needs. In addition, through this therapy, the child can learn the
correct exercises of the muscles of the mouth and oral cavity, the position of
the child while eating, and the systematic techniques of how much and how thick
food should be put in the mouth. Pronunciation problems can also be eliminated
through correct pronunciation, breathing control exercises, and regular
practice.
There
are also things that women who want to get pregnant can do to reduce the risk
of developing cerebral palsy -
1. Eat enough food from the beginning of pregnancy.
2. If you have diabetes, it should be controlled.
3. Keep your weight under control according to your
age.
4. Take medicine as prescribed by your doctor.
The
doctor said - To give these children a healthy life, there are things to do at
home too -
1. Children who cannot speak, you should speak to them
in one word, such as eat, go, sit, give, mango, banana, etc.
2. Many children can speak, but have problems with
pronunciation. You should speak slowly with them, so that the child can see the
pronunciation of your mouth.
3. There may also be problems with comprehension
skills. The child needs to recognize different things. For example - glass,
plate, spoon, fan, light, etc.
4. Some children suffering from cerebral palsy do not
develop the ability to speak. However, the ability to understand is good.
Communication books can be used for them, which will have pictures of all the
daily used and necessary things.
5. For those who have trouble swallowing food, some
things should be taken care of –
·
The child should not be fed lying down.
This can cause food to enter the airway. Therefore, it should be fed by sitting
at a 45-degree angle.
·
Water and food should not be given
together. Water should be given after the food in the mouth is completely
finished.
·
Very small amounts of food should be given
each time.
·
Children who cannot chew food can be given
small amounts of food between their teeth so that they can learn to chew.
Above all – to lead a healthy life, the child
should be given adequate time and play with him. Opportunities should be given
to socialize with other children and family members should cooperate in this.
The child should not be kept confined at home but should be taken to various
family functions and places. It is not right to feel inferior in supporting a
sick child.
