Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide for Caregiving

by Freeman Miller, Steven J. Bachrach

Overview

World-renowned experts provide the latest information for parents and grandparents caring for a child who has cerebral palsy.

Highly Commended, Popular Medicine BMA Medical Book Award

When their child has cerebral palsy, parents need answers. They seek up-to-date advice they can count on to make sure their child has the best possible health and well-being. For three editions now, a team of experts associated with the Cerebral Palsy Program at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children have shared vital information through this authoritative resource for parents, who will turn to it time and time again as their child grows.

The new edition is thoroughly revised to incorporate the latest medical thinking, including advances in diagnosis, treatment, and terminology. Every chapter includes new content on topics ranging from genetics to pain, temperature control, palliative care, why growth suppression is sometimes recommended, the Affordable Care Act, and how to make it easier for siblings to cope. Chapter 8 has been entirely rewritten to better help adolescents prepare for the transition to adulthood. New classification systems, such as the gross motor function classification system and the Functional Mobility System, are described and explained. And a number of emerging therapies—including marijuana oil, cord blood transfusion, deep brain stimulation, epilepsy surgery, and growing spinal rods—are explored.

Intended for parents, grandparents, teachers, therapists, and others who care for and about people with cerebral palsy and cerebral palsylike conditions, this is an essential and compassionate guide.

Key Features:

• Detailed descriptions of specific patterns of involvement (hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia)
• Explanations of the medical and psychosocial implications of CP
• Photographs and drawings that complement the text
• Practical advice about caregiving, from nutrition to mobility
• An illustrated encyclopedia that defines and describes terms, diagnoses, medical and surgical procedures, and orthopedic and other assistive devices
• Lists of resources and recommended reading, which include a number of online sources

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421422169
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	05/30/2017
Series:	A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book
Edition description:	third edition
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Freeman Miller, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

Steven J. Bachrach, MD, is a the co-director of the Cerebral Palsy Program at Nemours / Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. He is a professor of pediatrics at the Sidney Kimmel School of Medicine and the medical director at Philadelphia’s HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Read an Excerpt

Sound professional advice and a caring commitment to do what’s best for your child. That’s what anyone who is the parent of a child with cerebral palsy wants. And that’s what Drs. Miller and Bachrach and their colleagues offer in this book. They will show you on every page that they understand, at least a little bit, what it’s like to be the parent of a child with cerebral palsy. Perhaps most importantly, they will do all this because they care so much about the children.

—from the Foreword, by Joan Lenett Whinston, parent of a child with cerebral palsy and author of I'm Joshua & "Yes I Can"

Table of Contents

Foreword, by Joan Lenett Whinston
Preface
Acknowledgments
PART I.
1. What Is Cerebral Palsy?
2. An Overview of Early Child Development
3. Medical Problems Associated with Cerebral Palsy
4. Intellectual, Psychological, and Social Development
5. Hemiplegia
6. Diplegia
7. Quadriplegia
8. The Adult with Cerebral Palsy
9. How the Health Care System Works
10. Financing Care for the Child with Cerebral Palsy
11. Navigating the Educational System
12. Being an Advocate for Your Child
PART II.
Taking Care of Yourself When You Care for Others
Protecting the Caregiver's Back: Basic Body Mechanics
Making Things Easier for You and Your Child
Choosing Appropriate Seating
Choosing and Using Car Seats
About Wheelchair Maintenance
Pressure Management Awareness
Choosing a Stander
About Walkers and Gait Trainers
About Braces
Choosing the Correct Shoes
Increasing Independence with Service Dogs
Managing the System
Working with a Case Manager
Letters of Medical Necessity
Occupations for Adults with Cerebral Palsy
About Hospitalization
Keeping Medical History Records
Life Planning Process
About Casts
Using Nutritional Boosters
Managing Tube Feedings
Providing Oral Care
Toilet Training Your Child
Giving an Enema
Giving Rectal Medications or Suppositories
Suctioning Techniques
PART III.
From Achilles Tendon Lengthening to Vocational Rehabilitation
Resources
Index

Editorial Reviews

Addresses the many complexities and uncertainties related to this diagnosis. At the same time, it provides the information parents, grandparents, caregivers, and health professionals need—everything from medical, educational, and psychosocial implications to wheelchair maintenance and dental care.
—Exceptional Parent

This book is well structured, easy to read, and gives answers to all questions related to the management of children and adults with CP.
—European Journal of Pediatrics

A 'must' for any family struggling with CP care . . . The wealth of details are organized logically and parents will find it easy to navigate, making it an item of choice above others.
—Bookwatch

From the Publisher

A 'must' for any family struggling with CP care . . . The wealth of details are organized logically and parents will find it easy to navigate, making it an item of choice above others.

Bookwatch

"This book is well structured, easy to read, and gives answers to all questions related to the management of children and adults with CP."

European Journal of Pediatrics

"Addresses the many complexities and uncertainties related to this diagnosis. At the same time, it provides the information parents, grandparents, caregivers, and health professionals need—everything from medical, educational, and psychosocial implications to wheelchair maintenance and dental care."

Exceptional Parent

A guide for parents and caregivers of children and adults with cerebral palsy (CP), as well as for adolescents and adults with the condition. Part I provides an overview of CP and explains the medical and psychosocial implications of associated conditions, offering advice for parents on becoming an advocate for their child. Part II contains practical information on caregiving and medical procedures. Part III defines and describes medical terms and diagnoses, surgical procedures, and assistive devices. Includes a list of resources and recommended reading. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews