In Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and next Saturday’s Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has urged the Welsh Government to back plans for a Cerebral Palsy Register in Wales to help the many children, parents, carers and families affected by the condition.
In a 90 Second Statement in the Assembly Chamber this afternoon, Mr Isherwood spoke of the benefits of having a Register in Wales and urged those in power to “help make it happen”.
He said:
“October is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability in the world affecting 1 in every 400 children in the UK. Around 70 babies born in Wales this year will have cerebral palsy.
“It affects posture and movement as a result of brain damage. It can also effect sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and eating and drinking. It makes activities, such as walking, talking, dressing and fine motor skills that most of us take for granted difficult to do.
“Bobath Children’s Therapy Centre Wales, a specialist centre for the whole of Wales providing therapy for children who have cerebral palsy, are developing a cerebral palsy register.
They would like Wales to have the benefits that other countries with registers do, such as: Knowing the size and distribution of the population of individuals who have cerebral palsy in Wales; Being able to map services against populations; The ability to plan care and services for a known population; The ability to incorporate hip surveillance into the register and reduce the incidence of dislocating hips and the need for surgery; Being able to include Wales’ data in population research into cerebral palsy and interventions, and increasing the voice of people who have cerebral palsy.
“We call on the Welsh Government to help make this happen and help many children, parents, carers and families in Wales.”