What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy is a term that covers a variety of disorders that affect a child's ability to move and maintain posture and balance. These disorders are caused by a brain injury that occurs before birth (in the womb), or within the first few years after birth. The injury affects the brains ability to control the muscles. Depending on the location of the brain injury and how severe it is, there could also be other problems like mental retardation, seizures, language disorders, learning disabilities and vision and hearing problems. CP is known as a developmental disability because it influences the way children develop.
What on earth is the North American Growth in CP Project?
NAGCePP is a group of medical centers in the United States and Canada that are studying the growth of children who have Cerebral Palsy.
Who Makes Up NAGCePP ?
- Doctors
- Nutritionists -- people who are interested in how you grow and how you eat. They want to help kids to eat better to grow better.
- Anthropometrists -- people who study human body measurements especially to compare the results. They weigh and measure how big you are growing.
Where Is NAGCePP Located?
- Main Site: University of Virginia's Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, in Charlottesville, Virginia
- University of North Carolinia School of Medicine, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina
- Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- University of Rochester, in Rochester, New York
- McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Sunny Hill Health Center For Children, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Why Are We Studying the Growth of Kids with CP?
Chidren with CP are often shorter and thinner than other children of the same age.For some kids being smaller might be an advantage, but being too small might mean poor nutrition. We are interested in discovering what is just the right size for a child with CP.
How Will This Benefit Children with CP?
Participation in our study may lead to important information about growth in children with Cerebral Palsy. We need your help to enable health care professionals to take better care of children with CP and to help them to lead healthier lives.
How Do I Learn More?
Call our TOLL-FREE number at 1-888-4CP-GROW