Cerebral Palsy Children Have Similar Quality Lifes As Their Healthy Peers
If they are not in pain, 8-12 year-old children with cerebral palsy seem to feel just as happy as healthy children of the same age, say researchers in a new study. Pain is the main factor affecting happiness, said the researchers, rather than the severity or type of cerebral palsy.
You can read about this study in the journal The Lancet, 30th June issue.
The researchers found that 54% of children with cerebral palsy did experience some degree of pain. They also mentioned that children whose cerebral palsy did not allow them to self-report were not included in the study. However, they stressed that these findings offer both reassurance to parents of children with this disorder and potential strategies to clinicians seeking to improve the quality of life for affected children.
Two, much smaller, previous studies had indicated the opposite. This latest study involved 818 children throughout Western Europe - Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland and Sweden. 500 of the children, those who could self-report, and their parents, were visited at home and were given KIDSCREEN questionnaires. The reports were compared to 3,200 reports from children who did not have cerebral palsy.
The findings found that children with cerebral palsy:
scored lower for…
… physical well-being
… self-sufficiency
… social support
Scored higher for…
…school environment
Severity of cerebral palsy did not significantly affect their happiness or how they perceived themselves
Those who could not speak, or found it difficult, did not enjoy such a good relationship with their parents compared to those who could speak.
source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=75731
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Cerebral Palsy Children Have Similar Quality Lifes As Their Healthy Peers
