LilSugar

Boy With Cerebral Palsy May Be Forced to Give Up His Pony

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:00:04 PST

A three-year-old born with cerebral palsy was gifted a miniature pony from his grandfather. A form of equestrian therapy, Sam Spliteri's daily rides help him with simple tasks like feeding himself and improving his speech. Though he has ridden his pet that lives at his home since he was a baby, the town of Caledon recently received a complaint from a neighbor.

Since the property is not zoned for livestock, the family may be forced to give up the pony and the child would have to say good-bye to his best friend. Sam has seizures so it is almost impossible for him to commute to other horseback riding facilities.

Wee Are the World: Kids Being Kids

babysugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:43 PDT

Having a child with special needs can be challenging. Being a child with special needs is likely harder. When their peers run outside for recess or jump off a diving board, some tots with cerebral palsy or debilitating conditions find themselves watching from afar.

It's not so in Loganville, Georgia. The residents of the small Atlanta suburb built a special rubberized field in 2004 that allows special needs children, including those in wheelchairs, to scoot around from base to base. The games only last two innings, but it's all these athletes need to make them feel a part of things. Their healthy able–bodied peers aid and cheer them on as they round the bases. This is one situation where everybody wins - no matter what the score is!

Mommy Alert! Botox

LilSugar — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:00:30 PST

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about Botox which is said to have caused the deaths of children who were being medically treated with the drug.

Botox injections are used by many moms to smooth out wrinkle ridden areas of their faces, but its side effects can be lethal.

A CNN story reported:

In rare cases, the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening the muscles used for breathing and swallowing, a potentially fatal side effect, the FDA said.

To learn more about the findings,

read more. The administration classified the number of cases they are looking into as a "relative handful." The article said:

The FDA said the deaths it is investigating so far all involve children, mostly cerebral palsy patients being treated for spasticity in their legs. The FDA has never formally approved that use for the drugs, but some other countries have.

Source

Mommy Alert! Epsom Salts Can Reduce Risk of Cerebral Palsy

LilSugar — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:00:17 PST

New research shows that giving pregnant women Epsom salts just before they birth a premature baby can half the infant's chance of getting cerebral palsy.

According to an Associated Press article, the government funded study followed 2,241 women who were between 24 and 31 weeks pregnant.

It said:

Most of the women were in early labor because their water broke. They were given either the compound or a fake solution. The infants were examined for signs of cerebral palsy at birth and over the next two years.

Of the babies who survived, moderate or severe cerebral palsy occurred in about 2 percent of those in the treatment group compared to about 4 percent of those whose mothers didn't get the compound.

The death rate was about even.

Source