General Disability Lifestyle

Posted on: Thu, Oct 29 2009 3:26 PM

Posted by: BMWgirl Posts: 675

I know CP is a condition, not a disease. But is it a birth defect?  Techincly speaking, I don't even know the answer, and I considder myself a fairly  knowledgeable  person about this stuff..  I am not getting into what lan one perfers.  I just wonder does cp full into that defination.  I've wondered that ever since someone called me one.  Not for a second did I doubt my self worth cause of that-just alway wondered, was she factually correct?   And, she wasn't at fault she was going thru utter hell-everybody has their breaking point!  I was just  an innocent bi stander.

Posted on: Thu, Oct 29 2009 5:03 PM

Posted by: Tania Posts: 697

 You were certainly right in telling her your feelings.  If you have a problem with something someone says, regardless of the situation, you should be allowed to speak your mind.

Posted on: Thu, Oct 29 2009 9:05 PM

Posted by: squabwithfibro Posts: 3,158

 My best friend had mild CP.  She was born during WWII.  Most of the doctor's were off to war so her mom wanted to go back home to have her family doctor deliver her baby.  Once there, he was off to war as well.  My friend's mom was told her daughter's CP was caused from birth trauma from use of forceps (a kind that are no longer used and haven't been for many, many years!).  Her mom always blamed herself......which of course she wasn't to blame.   I've read a couple of periodicals which indicated that some CP begins during pre-natal development.  CP does not seem to be quite so cut and dried as some other conditions which are clearly genetically caused birth defects.  Check out March of Dimes.  They have studied such issues for years and years.  They might have some info. you might find interesting.

Posted on: Fri, Oct 30 2009 1:52 PM

Posted by: BMWgirl Posts: 675

Oh I totally know everything on what CP is and how it's caused-trust me..I've just wondered does it fall into the birth defect catagory?

Posted on: Fri, Oct 30 2009 3:25 PM

Posted by: mcjane Posts: 1,291

I have a friend whose brother has CP and she said it was caused from a forceps delivery.  I wonder if there are any statistics to back this up?   I know when my 9 lb son was being born and taking his time about it the doctor suggested forceps and I yelled "NO!"

Actually, after she told me about her brother, I wanted to start a thread here and ask the CP people how many had forceps delivery....but didn't know if it would be "polite".   Is it rude to wonder?  May I ask?

Posted on: Fri, Oct 30 2009 5:26 PM

Posted by: Nightengale Posts: 801

I wouldn't consider CP a birth defect because it can develop any time from before birth through three years of age.  Any injury to a developing brain which causes problems with movement is considered CP.  The injury could be caused from a stroke in utero, lack of oxygen during delivery (VERY RARE), severe jaundice (rare these days), bleeding in the brain from extreme prematurity, meningitis in early childhood. . . A birth defect has to be present at birth, even if it's not diagnosed until much later (like some heart problems).