Association Builds Awareness of Birth-Related Cerebral Palsy

In an effort to build awareness that Cerebral Palsy or brain damage may result from lack of medical attention at birth, the Physiotherapists Association of Malawi (PAM) recently held a course on assessment and management of children with Cerebral Palsy. Held in Malawi, the two-week course was for practicing physiotherapists, rehabilitation technicians and occupational therapists from different institutions across the country.

Accordint to PAM Chairperson Sylvia Kambalametore, the signs of such damage in newly born babies include failure to cry immediately after birth, failure to move a limb or limbs, and failure to see and speak. Some symptoms may not appear until later, Kambalametore said. "Parents can notice abnormality in a child from as early as birth but usually such problems start being noticed when the child is three months old."

A growing concern nationwide, she said that parents should have children immediately attended to when they notice inconsistencies or problems in the development of their child.