PRINTER'S NO. 1976
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
200
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY BOYD, KRAJEWSKI, KINSEY, T. DAVIS, HILL-EVANS,
HANBIDGE, KENYATTA, BRIGGS, SHUSTERMAN, GUENST, VITALI,
DALEY, McNEILL, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MADDEN, KRUEGER, SCHLOSSBERG,
SANCHEZ, WEBSTER, MALAGARI, BOROWSKI, KHAN, HOWARD, DELLOSO
AND O'MARA, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing October 6, 2023, as "World Cerebral Palsy Day" in
Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is defined as a group of disorders
that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and
posture; and
WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormal brain
development or damage to a developing brain before birth; and
WHEREAS, Gene mutations, maternal infections, fetal stroke,
bleeding into the brain, infant infections, traumatic head
injury and lack of oxygen can lead to problems with brain
development; and
WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is the most common movement
disability in children; and
WHEREAS, Roughly 1 in 345 people in the United States have
cerebral palsy; and
WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is found to be more common in males
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than females, and more common among black children than white
children; and
WHEREAS, Cerebral palsy is usually diagnosed during a child's
first or second year of life; and
WHEREAS, The sooner a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy
and early interventions are put in place, the better their
movement and cognitive outcomes are; and
WHEREAS, Symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary from person to
person; and
WHEREAS, Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy include stiff
muscles, lack of balance and coordination, tremors, difficulty
walking and difficulty with fine motor skills; and
WHEREAS, There are four main types of cerebral palsy,
including spastic cerebral palsy, dyskinetic cerebral palsy,
ataxic cerebral palsy and mixed types of cerebral palsy; and
WHEREAS, Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type and
causes a person to have stiff muscles and awkward movements; and
WHEREAS, Dyskinetic cerebral palsy causes a person to have
slow and uncontrollable jerking movements of the feet, arms,
hands and legs; and
WHEREAS, Ataxic cerebral palsy causes a person to have
difficulty with balance and depth perception; and
WHEREAS, Mixed cerebral palsy relates to a person having
symptoms that do not fall under a specific category of cerebral
palsy but are rather a mixture of the different types of
cerebral palsy; and
WHEREAS, People with cerebral palsy can also have co-
occurring conditions which are additional conditions or
disorders along with cerebral palsy; and
WHEREAS, One in two people with cerebral palsy also have an
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intellectual disability; and
WHEREAS, One in four people with cerebral palsy also have
epilepsy; and
WHEREAS, As of 2023, there is no known cure for cerebral
palsy, however, medications, treatments and surgery can help
those with cerebral palsy improve their motor and communication
skills; and
WHEREAS, The average lifetime costs of caring for an
individual with cerebral palsy is $1.6 million, in addition to
normal living expenses; and
WHEREAS, The hope for a cure for cerebral palsy begins with
attaining a better understanding of the disorder; and
WHEREAS, The current research being done regarding cerebral
palsy is to explore ways of reducing symptoms and limiting brain
damage; and
WHEREAS, With support and services, adults and children with
cerebral palsy can live healthy and active lifestyles and be
engaged members of the community; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize October
6, 2023, as "World Cerebral Palsy Day" in Pennsylvania.
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