Understanding Cerebral PalsyWhen you have a child with cerebral palsy, you are on the road to understanding cerebral palsy. To appreciate cerebral palsy you have to be in close contact with someone with cerebral palsy. This close contact can be through your child or a close relative or friend. Other people may be in contact with a child with cerebral palsy by nature of their work, for instance, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologist, teachers and social workers. When you are in close contact with a cerebral palsy person, you become a member of the “cerebral palsy community”. The members of this community are individuals with their own understanding of cerebral palsy. I belong to this community because I want to find out some information on this condition which has affected one person I love very much and to find out how I can help her. To appreciate this condition, the first thing to find out is how this condition comes about and once it is known, then the family can know how to manage the condition. One of the causes of cerebral palsy is lack of oxygen during or just after birth as was the case with our daughter. The condition is not infectious and it is not curable. If properly managed, the condition does not worsen. One of the causes of cerebral palsy is lack of oxygen during or just after birth as was the case with our daughter. The condition is not infectious and it is not curable. If properly managed, the condition does not worsen. Depending on the severity of the problem, the condition can be managed with satisfaction. In our case, the child has moderate cerebral palsy which affects the whole body and we are able to manage the condition in spite of her using a wheel chair for her outdoor mobility. Understanding CP as a condition which does not get worse with good management and that it is not infectious makes the family to be at ease.
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