Cerebral Palsy: A Complete Guide for Caregiving

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

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.