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Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting
body movements and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring
during fetal development or infancy. It also can occur before, during or shortly following birth. There
are three main types of cerebral palsy: Spastic Cerebral Palsy: stiff and difficult movement. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy: involuntary and uncontrolled movement. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: disturbed sense of balance and depth perception. Mixed Cerebral Palsy: There may be a combination of these types of cerebral palsy for any one person.
Spina bifida is a birth defect that involves the
incomplete development of the spinal cord or its coverings. The two forms of spina bifida are spina bifida occulta and spina
bifida manifesta. Spina bifida occulta is the mildest form of spina bifida (occulta means hidden). Most children
with this type of defect never have any health problems, and the spinal cord is often unaffected. Spina bifida manifesta
includes two types of spina bifida: Meningocele involves the meninges, the membranes responsible for
covering and protecting the brain and spinal cord. If the meninges push through the hole in the vertebrae (the small, ring-like
bones that make up the spinal column), the sac is called a meningocele. Myelomeningocele is the most
severe form of spina bifida. It occurs when the meninges push through the hole in the back, and the spinal cord also pushes
though. Most babies who are born with this type of spina bifida also have hydrocephalus, an accumulation
of fluid in and around the brain.
Cystic fibrosis (also known as CF, mucovoidosis, or mucoviscidosis)
is a genetic disorder known to be an inherited disease of the secretory glands, including the glands that make mucus and sweat.
The hallmarks of cystic fibrosis are salty tasting skin, normal appetite but poor growth and poor weight gain, excess mucus
production, and coughing/shortness of breath.
Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that is associated with intellectual disability, a
characteristic facial appearance, and poor muscle tone (hypotonia) in infancy. The degree of intellectual disability varies,
but it is usually mild to moderate. Most cases of Down syndrome result from trisomy 21, which means each cell in the
body has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the usual two copies. The extra genetic material disrupts the normal
course of development, causing the characteristic features of Down syndrome.A small percentage of people with Down syndrome
have an extra copy of chromosome 21 in only some of the body's cells. In these people, the condition is called mosaic Down
syndrome.
Leukemia (British English: leukaemia) is a cancer of the blood or bone
marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation (production by multiplication) of blood cells, usually white blood cells. Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases. In turn, it
is part of the even broader group of diseases called hematological neoplasms.
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