Carrying and positioning of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Some easy carrying and picking up spastic or flaccid children with congenital or acquired Cerebral Palsy Hemiplegia, Diplegia or Quadreplegia

1. Carrying And Positioning Of CP Children By: Sara Sheikh Occupational Therapist

2. CARRYING Great care must be taken when picking up and carrying the cerebral palsied child Extra care should be taken when lifting the child who has little or no head control, remembering that good handling of the shoulder girdle and arms makes it easier to control his head

3. WRONG WAYS TO PICK UP A CHILD WHO IS STIFF!

4. RIGHT WAYS TO PICK UP A CHILD WHO IS STIFF

5. Wrong way to pick up heavy spastic child (Figure A) Correct way to lift a heavy spastic child (Figure B)

6. A child carried as a baby, completely supported and unable to look around . (Figure A) Note when carrying the child in this way the tendency is to pull him towards your, especially at the hips. This is an abnormal position and similar to that which the child adopts when lying on his back . (Figure B)

7. A simple way of carrying a spastic child

8. HOW TO LIFT A FLOPPY CHILD?

9. A simple way of carrying a floppy child

10. Good Base For Carrying Your hands and body can provide sufficient base for the child to learn to support himself while being carried around. You can gradually reduce the base as the child learns to position himself.

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12. POSITIONING The principles of positioning include alignment, comfort, and support. Additional considerations include prevention of deformity and readiness to move.

13. Children tend to position themselves in a posture in which they feel safe. We often forget this principle of positioning because we are more concerned about the child’s safety within a posture than about how the position may affect mobility.

14. SOME COMMON HARMFUL POSITIONS

15. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS AND POSITIONS Whatever the child is doing (lying, sitting, crawling, standing) try to encourage that : Her head is straight up and down. Her body is straight (not bent, bowed, or twisted). Both arms are straight and kept away from the sides. Both hands are in use, in front of her eyes. She bears weight equally on both sides of her body - through both hips, both knees, both feet or both arms.

16. LYING OR SLEEPING

17. SITTING

18. Standing