7th October, 2015
An NGO, Cerebral Palsy Centre (CPCentre), on Wednesday called on wealthy Nigerians to assist in the care of children living with Cerebral Palsy (CP).
Mrs Nonye Nweke, the Chairman of the centre, made the call in Lagos at an event marking the World Cerebral Palsy Day tagged: “Living with My Child with CP in My Society”.
Nweke also called for more awareness on the need for care for children living with the disorder.
She said: “Cerebral palsy is an umbrella used for a group of disorders affecting body movements, balance and posture.
“It is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle tone and movement. The damage is caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain.
“CP is not a disease; it is not hereditary or contagious, it is a disability, it also important to know that CP is non-progressive, it is as yet non-curable, but manageable.
“The disorder can be managed with proper therapies and medication, with the use of assistive technology that can maximise independence, reduce barriers and enhance quality life.”
Nweke said that children with CP also need special attention, care and education on why they need to be regular at their various physio-exercises.
She said that parents of children with this special condition need adequate orientation and education so that they would know the health status of their children.
“The first thing a family whose child was diagnosed with CP needs is counselling, information and education; without this, the family will be left groping in the dark.
“Management of CP is not only intensive, it is expensive. CP is said to be the most expensive congenital disorder to manage. It is difficult for a family to keep up,’’ she said.
A medical doctor, Dr Kunle Adebanwo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline that having a child living with CP “is a reality he is still trying to come to terms with”.
“With my status as a medical doctor nobody would have given me a chance of having a child with CP. To move the child about was the first major problem.
“They need a psychologist a lot that is the first treatment. CP children want to feel loved, and to know that they are wanted, that is the most important thing.
“Then, the physiotherapist who takes care of their sensory systems, feeding, maintaining a clean environment and parents must be alert to their health status.
“On close observation when they start to salivate and its getting too much, that may be an indication that they are about to experience crisis; when their temperature is high too.
“The crisis in CP children can be prevented with proactive steps by regular check-up,’’ he advised.
Also speaking, Mrs Clara Lawal, mother of a child with disorder, said though, it was not easy taking care of her child, she still endured to make her child gets to the enviable height in the society.
“I make sure that I trained my child up to the doctorate level, she is presently in South Africa pursuing her doctoral degree on human right.
“I noticed that they sleep for long time and have mood swings maybe because of their condition; they are also withdrawn not wanting to associate.
“But, if they are properly managed they can be happy and make good use of their intelligence like my daughter who is now married in spite of her condition.
“I will advise parents to give adequate attention and care to these children so that they can live a meaningful and impactful life in the society,’’ she said.