‘Cerebral palsy cases rising in Pakistan’

Prevalence among children in Pakistan is nearly twice the world average

Cases of cerebral palsy (CP) were rising sharply in Pakistan and their prevalence was twice that of the disease's global average, said noted neurophysician and Epilepsy Foundation of Pakistan president Dr Fowzia Siddiqui.

Addressing a ceremony at Darul Sukoon on the occasion of the World Cerebral Palsy Day on Tuesday, Dr Siddiqui stated that per estimates, 4 children out of 1,000 in the country suffered from CP as compared to a global average of 2 to 3 children per 1,000.

"The causes of the high prevalence of these cases in Pakistan include lack of care for pregnant women, infections and the use of harmful medicines," she said, adding that poor intake of vitamins and folic acid, as well as irregular or no medical check-ups, among pregnant women also played a role.

"Due to poor oxygen intake in newborns and infections at childbirth, their brain and body are affected with palsy," claimed Dr Siddiqui, adding that there were several types of this disease, depending on which part of the brain was affected.

She explained that sometimes both feet, lower body and, in some cases, the entire body were paralysed, leading to lifelong disability.

Dr Siddiqui said that early diagnosis and intervention could increase the chances of improvement but prevention is the best cure. "If a baby does not respond normally in the first three months of their life, the parents should consult a doctor," she recommended.

She urged the government to pay attention to the disease and set up special schools and rehabilitation centres for affected children.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2020.