By Naa Shormei Odonkor
Koforidua, Mar 28, GNA – Mr Peter Frempong, Leading Physiotherapist at the Legoe Physio and Wellness Centre in Accra, says that misconceptions about cerebral Palsy and its related conditions in babies hinder nursing mothers from monitoring their babies’ growth and development.
He highlighted the importance of mothers paying close attention to newborns’ development of capabilities such as the ability to sit, crawl, reach for things, and speak.
He explained that every child was expected to exhibit such capabilities at different stages of their development and that ignoring the delays of those capabilities in children could result in the late discovery of cerebral palsy.
Mr Frempong, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, explained that cerebral palsy is a condition characterised by improper brain development or injury that may occur during pregnancy, labour, or after delivery.
He stated that a study on CP in Africa indicated that a single child in every 300 births in Ghana had CP, highlighting the need to educate people about the condition.
According to Mr. Frempong, there are no causes of CP, although risk factors include fever, infection, and jaundice during pregnancy, as well as low birth weight and birthing problems.
He further explained that cerebral palsy, which is related to abnormal brain development or damage that occurred before or during birth, is called congenital CP, and the majority of CP (85 –90 per cent) is congenital.”
Mr Frempong also said the percentage of babies who acquired CP after birth through an infection such as meningitis or head injury within 28 days after birth was lower than congenital CP.
According to him, there was no cure for CP, but emphasised that it could be managed, especially, when detected early through baby development monitoring by the mother and health workers.
He, therefore, urged health practitioners, particularly those at maternity wards, to educate expectant mothers on CP, particularly during pregnancy, to help prevent delivering babies with such conditions.
He also advised lactating mothers to track the development of their babies to detect delays in their development and receive the needed medical attention rather than relax due to hearsay.
GNA