The Hindu Business Line : Cerebral palsy: ‘No vaccine in sight, but healthcare can help’

Hyderabad, Dec. 3 A kid who cannot walk, some who cannot talk, others who are handicapped to work have a common thread binding them — they are helpless to live on their own. This is the story of many special children, living a difficult life with a medical condition called cerebral palsy (CP).

Affecting roughly 40 lakh children in India, CP or Spasticity, is in a way a tightening of the limbs, which decapacitates the motor functions among children.

Need for care

“It is like a disobedient body trapped in a healthy mind,” said Dr A.K. Purohit, referring to the condition of a typical child suffering from CP. The professor and head of department of neurosurgery at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, is among the few in the country waging a battle to reduce its incidence.

A vaccine is nowhere in sight but proper healthcare of pregnant women and children up to 12 years could largely control cerebral palsy in India, he said.

Low Awareness

Lack of awareness about CP is high in the country and the need for good healthcare for pregnant mothers and infants is also daunting, said Dr Purohit, who has authored a book on the subject in Hindi, Cerebral Palsy Gyan Kosh, recently.

Unlike polio, which is caused by a virus affecting the spinal cord, CP is a result of an insult or injury to a part of the brain most often occurring during delivery.

The impact on the motor function or limbs depends on the location of the injury in the brain, he told Business Line.

More Stories on : Health | Pharmaceuticals | Andhra Pradesh

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page