Cheryl Hines Cares about Birth Defects

Cheryl Hines became a mom in 2004.  When she’s not working, Cheryl takes care of her lovely daughter, Catherine Rose.  Even though the actress hired a nanny, she is very involved in raising her child.  Did parenting change her lifestyle?

Of course it did, because kids have different programs than the adults:  They nap at certain hours, eat at certain hours, and most of the time sleep only if you do that special thing they like.  In spite of the fact Catherine Rose is healthy, the actress tried to raise awareness about cerebral palsy.

Hines’ nephew was born premature and he had to fight for his life, a hard job for a newborn diagnosed with cerebral palsy.  Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic conditions resulted from damages to specific areas of the developing brain.  Children in this condition can’t control their movements or stay normally.

Symptoms of cerebral palsy may include disturbances in gait or mobility, muscle spasticity and involuntary movement, problems speaking, and difficulty in swallowing.  The risks for this condition include lack of oxygen, premature birth, low birth weight, strokes, maternal infections, or an incompatibility between the mother and baby.

Unfortunately doctors can’t repair the damaged brain yet, but there’s still hope because the brain is able to create new pathways to perform different functions of the body, especially at kids where large parts of the brain are not yet “committed.”

The good news is some drugs reduce the deficits created by muscle spasticity.  Physiotherapy is another way to improve some of the lost function.  It is important to intervene at early signs on cerebral palsy.