This 4-year-old boy has Diplegia. His speech is clear, but he runs out of breath. This difficulty is NOT a brain problem, it is caused by trunk weakness. Putting him […]
Real, Not False Hope
There is a continuing controversy in pediatric neurorehabilitation about how much hope to give parents of a child with diagnosed brain damage. This interview gives my position, as well as […]
What Were You Told About Cerebral Palsy?
Parents of babies treated in a NICU learn that their baby has a “Brain Problem” earlier than many others who only realize that there is a problem when their child […]
Trunk Support Changes Tone
Once they can be put in the upright position, trunk support is the first requirement. The difference in function with the addition of adequate trunk support is obvious. Just as […]
More On Trunk Support Changes Tone
In the bad old days, a child with cerebral palsy who attained any level of independent function was considered “Good Enough”. Fortunately, times have changed and the standards must be […]
The Early Signs of “Activity Dependent Tone”
This baby has difficulty lifting her hand. When she tries, she turns on all her muscles causing her hand to fist, the elbow to flex and the shoulder to lift […]
3 Steps To Hand Use: Alignment, Awareness and Activation
Babies first explore their hands with their mouth, gradually using them to explore and reach by 3-6 months. Yet even at the stage of independent sitting, a baby can still […]
Can You Stimulate Baby Brain Neuroplasticity?
The baby with an early brain injury recovers during a period of exuberant neuroplasticity. In order to encourage both brain development and recovery, it is important to understand how a […]
Too Little, Too Late
My last post for parents whose child had been treated in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) asked, “What were they told about their babies brain hemorrhage or PVL?” https://www.karenpapemd.com//index.php/when-was-your-child-diagnosed-with-cp/ […]
When Was Your Child Diagnosed With CP?
This is an ultrasound scan of a premature infant brain. There is damage that looks like holes, on the right side of his brain. Looking at this brain scan, it […]