Community Spotlight: CACPCARE

Today, I hear the happiness in my brother’s echoing laugh.  I see the fruit of life in his smiles when my Mom walks into his room.  He is not a vegetable.  I know this, but many don’t.

Cerebral palsy rates higher among children with Canadian-born mothers

Babies born to mothers who immigrated to Ontario from other countries have significantly lower rates of cerebral palsy than those of Canadian-born mothers, especially those from the Caribbean and East Asia, new research has found. “Predicting who is at highest risk of having a child with CP remains an international priority,” said lead author Dr. Joel Ray, who notes that CP rates have not declined much over the last decade. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood and appears by the age of four. The underlying injury to the brain with CP is thought to occur before birth, rather than during delivery. Most damage is to the motor neurons of the brain affecting coordination and muscle strength.

The Princess Panda Tea Party: A Cerebral Palsy Fairy Tale

“The Princess Panda Tea Party” is a Cerebral Palsy fairy tale that gives children a story that they can picture themselves in. CNS Foundation was lucky enough to get a copy in advance of printing and is impressed by the work done by author Jewel Kats to bring stories about all different types of children to the forefront. Read more to learn more about “The Princess Panda Tea Party” and watch a short video showing how Jewel Katz is bringing representation to the forefront.

Antidepressants during pregnancy linked to preterm birth

Rates of preterm birth have been increasing over the past two decades and it is a major public health concern. Children born preterm have higher infant mortality rates than full-term babies and surviving infants are at increased risk of health problems ranging from neurodevelopmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy and intellectual delays to other chronic health problems like asthma.

Loving Healing Press

Loving Healing Press publishes books revolving around self-help, personal growth, trauma recovery, and overcoming physical disabilities. Many of the books geared towards children address issues that are relevant to the CNS Foundation community.

National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, and March 25th is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day. CNS Foundation spoke with Reaching for the Stars. A Foundation of Hope for Children with Cerebral Palsy to learn more about Cerebral Palsy Awareness events taking place throughout the month.

Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine

The Australasian Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AusACPDM) hosts a Biennial Conference, this year held in New South Wales, Australia. The AusACPDM is a multidisciplinary group committed to advancing knowledge and awareness of evidence based practice in the field of childhood physical disability.

Helping young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities

Transition in health care is the process during which adolescents gradually prepare for and shift toward care in the adult system. Several challenges exist in this transition process, including the lack of preparation for the transfer; adult health care providers’ lack of experience, training and expertise in traditionally paediatric diseases and conditions; the loss of a longstanding and trusting relationship with the paediatrician; and poor relationships and communication between adolescents and their adult health care physicians.

Johns Hopkins animal study reveals sex-specific patterns of recovery from newborn brain injury

The findings underscore the need to explore questions about gender differences in all studies, including those conducted in animals, infants and children. Answering these questions in this case could prove to be a stepping stone toward finding precisely targeted, gender-based therapies to stimulate brain cell preservation and recovery.

Lauren Walier Makes Lemon Aide

When now fifteen-year-old Lauren Walier learned that there was no dedicated line item for federal funding for cerebral palsy research, she got inspired to make a difference for the cerebral palsy community. Watch the video and read more about this inspiring young advocate.