In July, BNS staff writerPatricia Inacio wrote a story discussing why and where children with cerebral palsy need more pain management. The article states that children with CP often have pain that is overlooked by caregivers and therapists. It discusses the importance of assessing the pain level of achild because pain occurs frequently and can be made worse by treatments. Reading this instantly struck a chord with me; I definitely was that child, and at the time I did not have the vocabulary to put into words how I was feeling. But thestudythis article was based on focused only on children with severe cerebral palsy and those who were non-ambulatory. While I found the research to be educational and accurate, these 240 children are not enough to get the full picture, and readers could miss out on a wealth of information about everyone on the cerebral palsy spectrum. I have a mild case of cerebral palsy. I walk with a limp and use various assistive devices depending on what I need at the time. While I also have hip and joint pain, like the children in this study, people like me werent discussed. Recently, I was having a conversation with … Continue reading →

Dorothea D. Jenkins, M.D., the senior author on the Neuropharmacology article, is a neonatologist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. Credit: Medical University of South Carolina. Sarah Pack. Hypothermia alone, the current standard of care, neuroprotects roughly 50 percent of newborns with moderate to severe hypoxic ischemia. Therefore, half of all affected newborns are left with developmental, cognitive and motor delays including cerebral palsy following injury. Clearly, newer therapies are needed that can be given in combination with hypothermia to improve outcomes. In preclinical studies, hypothermia and anti-oxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) are neuroprotective following neonatal hypoxic ischemia in females, but less so in males. Addition of vitamin D to hypothermia and NAC following neonatal hypoxic ischemia improves functional outcomes and preserves brain volume in male rodents, report researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in the September 1, 2017 issue of Neuropharmacology. "These treatments may attack the problem from different angles, helping different cells at different stages of recovery," says Dorothea Jenkins, M.D., a professor and clinician in the Department of Pediatrics at MUSC and the senior author of the article. Hypothermia affects several different mechanisms of injury and has been shown in … Continue reading →

RUBY MACANDREW Last updated11:40, September 1 2017 SUPPLIED An pioneering spinal surgery overseas could help give Hugo a better chance of living a more normal life. Wellington boy Hugo Simmons has a shot at living a normal, pain-free life but it comes with a hefty price tag $120,000 to be exact. Hugo, 3, has spastic quadriplegia, a type of cerebral palsy which means both his arms and legs are very tight, making walking and other simple tasks difficult and painful. Currently, he gets around in a wheelchair with help from his mum, Kerry Simmons, but that could all change thanks to a life-changing surgery in the United States. ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Christine Simmons hopes Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery in America will help her grandson Hugo, 3, walk independently. "If he has the surgery, it should help him function in a more natural normal way, giving hope that he will eventually walk instead of being confined to a wheelchair," Simmons said. READ MORE:*Toddler's surgery put on hold as she prepares for different operation*Mila's mum encourages parents to educate kids who call her 'weird' about cerebral palsy*Ministry approves cannabis treatment for 7-year-old girl The spinal surgery, known as Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), … Continue reading →