Pediatricians often have to be the bearers of bad news, such as telling parents that their child has a disability. Doing so in a helpful and constructive way can be challenging, but doing a poor job can cause unnecessary distress for everyone involved. A newly published paper outlines a method,…
A Swedish research program — involving a multidisciplinary team of professionals in collaboration with individuals with cerebral palsy and their families — will evaluate the existing healthcare conditions in Sweden, look at ways to equalize access to care, and develop new technologies to improve the healthcare management of people…
A review found limited evidence that botox outperforms other forms of treatment in improving walking, joint motion, or muscle spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The study, “Botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of lower limb spasticity in children with cerebral palsy,” was published in the…
I am not a math person. My aversion to mathematic equations dates to my earliest arithmetic memories. Given my distaste for equations, it might come as a surprise to know that my life often boils down to what feels like a continual deficit. In tandem with learning basic arithmetic…
More controlled clinical studies are needed to investigate the effects of umbilical cord blood transplants as a form of treatment for cerebral palsy (CP) and other diseases, according to a recent literature review. The study, “Systematic review of controlled clinical studies using umbilical cord blood for regenerative…
Agilik Technologies and the Functional and Applied Biomechanics Section of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (NIHCC) will work together on a clinical trial to test ExoStep — Agilik’s wearable exoskeleton legs — in children with gait disorders caused by cerebral palsy, or those with…
Have your cake and eat it, too. But not me. For several years, I’ve been fruitlessly reassuring myself that when my next anniversary of living rolls around, I will be able to eat birthday cake. Along with an array of other grievances that I ruminate on around the time of…
An educational program that hones cognitive skills using storytelling appears to help promote engagement at school by children with cerebral palsy (CP), a study shows. Although preliminary, this is the first report describing the benefits of educational interventions for improving school involvement in children with CP. The…
Baclofen, commonly prescribed for treating spasticity in adults with cerebral palsy (CP), is often given to children — but its use in this population is off-label and responses are varied. In a new review paper, researchers discussed the factors that need to be considered, and the obstacles that…
Children with impaired motor abilities — including those with cerebral palsy and with brain injuries — may benefit from robot-assisted gait training, a new study suggests. The study, “Effect of robotic-assisted gait training in a large population of children with motor impairment due to cerebral palsy or…