Cerebral Palsy, Erb's Palsy & Birth Injury Blog

When a child gets diagnosed with cerebral palsy or erb’s palsy the question of where to go for the best treatment soon follows. Below is a list of the top pediatric hospitals compiled by U.S. News & World Report.

America's Best Children's Hospitals, 2007 Edition
Published by U.S.News & World Report

1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children's Hospital Boston
3. Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
4. Children's Hospital, Denver
5. Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Cleveland
6. Texas Children's Hospital, Houston
7. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
8. New York-Presbyterian Univ. Hosp. of Columbia and Cornell
9. Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle
10. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.
11. Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
12. Columbus Children's Hospital
13. Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
14. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
15. St. Louis Children's Hospital
16. UCSF Children's Hospital, San Francisco
17. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
18. Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
19. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
20. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis
21. Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, Los Angeles
22. University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor
23. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville
24. Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.
25. Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago
26. Miami Children's Hospital
27. Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis
28. Children's Medical Center Dallas
29. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
30. Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Cerebral Palsy , Erb's Palsy , Spina Bifida

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In 1998, a campaign was started to boost young women's intake of a B vitamin called folate. It is believed that this has saved an estimated 1,000 (32 percent) American babies from early death or lifelong disability. Furthermore, it is believed that if all women who may become pregnant took in 400 micrograms daily of folic acid, the incidence of spina bifida in the United States could be reduced by 70 percent. Lately, the drive to prevent neural-tube defects such as spina bifida in newborns has stalled.

In a report issued on Jan. 5, 2007 the CDC found that women in their childbearing years, blood folate levels had declined 16 percent by 2004 from the levels recorded in 2000.

I tend to believe that the decrease in vitamin B may be do to new diet trends such as eating fewer carbs and more protein.

This being the case I believe now it is more important then ever for a doctor prescribe prenatal vitamins to women of child bearing age and/or women expecting to get pregnant. At the very least, the physician should prescribe prenatal vitamins as soon as the doctor knows of the pregnancy.

Failure to Monitor Diabetes or Failure to Properly Monitor Medications may also bring rise to a malpractice suit.

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Medical Malpractice , Spina Bifida

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Jayne Matthews of the Baltimore Times recently wrote a heart warming story describing how The Parents’ Place of Maryland (a group comprised exclusively of parents of a child with a learning or developmental disability) began and how the effort continues. In her latest article Matthews describes some of the emotions parents of disabled children go through and the amazing efforts made by The Parents’ Place of Maryland to assist the parents and children.

Matthews discusses how, unfortunately, parents of disabled children often feel isolated by feelings of “distress of a bleak prognosis” coupled with “anxiety over the future (how will my child survive a lifetime of limitations?)” and “guilt of the past (did I do something to cause this?)” and a “sense of anger (why is this happening to my family?).”
Matthews further explains how The Parents’ Place of Maryland, Josie Thomas, Kim McKay, Kelly Meissner and so many others have helped over 45,000 families since its inception in 1990.

For the full article click Here.

The resources are offered to the children and parents of children with disabilities throughout Maryland, regardless of the nature of their child's disability or the age of their child. They include conducting regular parent education courses and workshops, helping parents find information, providing referrals to other individuals or organizations, working with parents directly to help them obtain the best possible services for their children, maintaining an up-to-date list of support groups for parents in Maryland and publishing a quarterly newsletter for everyone interested in childrens' needs

This is a great organization and I applaud their effort.

Here is their contact info:

Parents' Place of Maryland
801 Cromwell Park Drive, Suite 103,
Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Telephone (voice or TDD): (410) 768-9100
FAX: (410) 768-0830
Email: info@ppmd.org

http://www.ppmd.org/index.asp

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Cerebral Palsy , Erb's Palsy , Spina Bifida

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Ryan Mink of the Washington Post reported today that Tatyana McFadden, a Maryland teen with spina bifida could not earn points for her Track & Field team in regional and state tournaments due to the use of her wheel chair.

This decision came just over a month after Tatyana McFadden and the Howard County School system reached an agreement to allow the junior at Atholton High school to compete and earn points in county events this spring. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association however, ruled Thursday that athletes in wheelchairs will not be able to earn points for their team in regional and state tournaments.

So as it stands now, wheelchair participants can compete in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meter races this spring (last year, they couldn't compete in the 100 and 200) however, wheelchair athletes can't score team points.

For the full article click here.

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Spina Bifida

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In Howard County, Maryland, Tatyana McFadden was barred from competing against other students because the school system said her wheelchair was a tool to help her win. McFadden took the Howard county school system to court and after several months the teenager with spina bifida won the right to race alongside high school teammates after challenging a school policy that forced her to compete separately at track meets.

This decision will still have to go through the The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association to determine if athletes in wheelchairs will be able to earn points for their team in regional and state tournaments.

So as it stands now, Tatyana McFadden, who by the way has competed successfully on a larger playing field, winning silver and bronze medals in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens will return to the track, at least in Howard County.

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Spina Bifida

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Spina bifida is a neural tube defect occurring when the tissue surrounding the developing spinal cord of a fetus does not form properly. The neural tube is the embryonic structure that, in time develops into the baby's brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them. Defects are most often found along the lower portion of the spine.

Typically, the neural tube forms in the developing baby early in the pregnancy and closes by the 26th day after conception. Later, the top of this tube becomes the baby's brain, and the remainder of the tube becomes the baby's spinal cord. In babies with spina bifida, a portion of the neural tube fails to develop or close properly, causing defects in the spinal cord and in the bones that make up the backbone. In the USA, approximately 1 in every 2,000 children are born with spina bifida.

Please visit our website for a more information regarding Spina Bifida including:

Types of Spina Bifida

Causes of Spina Bifida

Diagnosing Spina Bifida

Spina Bifida Symptoms

Medical Malpractice and Spina Bifida

This is a well done video outlining spina bifida and depicting a mans struggle with the disorder.

Posted by Robert A. D'Iorio | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Spina Bifida

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