MDNews - Minnesota

MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE, ADVANCED REHABILITATIVE AND SURGICAL PROTOCOLS, AND THE USE OF STATEž OFžTHEžART DIAGNOSTIC TECHNOLOGY ENABLE GILLETTE CHILDREN'S SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE TO PROVIDE THE MOST UPžTOžDATE MANAGEMENT OF MOVEMENT DISORDERS AND RELATED SPASTICITY AND MOTOR DELAY. ONE OF THE most common causes of pediat- ric motor disability and spasticity is cerebral palsy, a disorder that a™ects an estimated 500,000 children in the U.S., according to the Nemours Foundation. Gillette is one of the top cerebral palsy treatment centers in the world, sta™ed by a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons and pediatric rehabilitation specialists who are uniquely equipped to partner with commu- nity pediatricians and o™er comprehensive treatment strategies. MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVALUATION OF MOTOR DELAYS While the most common pediatric movement disorder is cerebral palsy, motor delays may also stem from underlying metabolic disor- ders or be idiopathic in nature, according to Marcie Ward, MD, pediatric rehabilitation medicine specialist at Gillette. Designed to reveal the root cause of a child's motor dysfunction, the Motor Delay Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic at Gillette is a one-stop referral resource for the families of young patients who have delays in their gross or fine motor skills consistent with cerebral palsy. These delays may include missing age-related milestones, such as roll- ing over, walking and crawling, abnormal gait patterns, and left- or right-hand dominance that is noticeable before children reach 18 months of age. Children with hypotonia, those who were born prematurely and those with a history of perinatal asphyxia are also candidates for a cerebral palsy assessment. During the Motor Delay Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic evaluation that follows referral, families have an opportunity to meet with a pediatric rehabilitation medicine specialist, neurologist and orthopedic sur- geon, as well as with members of the physical, occupational and speech therapy teams, on the same day. This not only enhances convenience, but also enables families to benefit from the expertise of all providers who are typically responsible for making a cerebral palsy diagnosis and managing the condition. "The neurologist conducts an in-depth review of the child's birth history, as well as any previous diagnostic testing or imaging that's been performed, to assess the etiology of the delay or impairment," Dr. Ward says. "The physiatrist does many of the same things, but we also look at the child's function and development, and how we can maximize GILLETTE CHILDREN'S SPECIALTY HEALTHCARE: A National Leader in Spasticity and Motor Delay Management BY TIFFANY PARNELL 0 6 0 6C O V E R F E A T U R E

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