EVALUATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND HYDROCEPHALUS FOR PERFORMING EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The master’s thesis is presented on 111 pages. The paper contains the following parts: Introduction, Theoretical part, Research, composed of Methodology of Research, Analysis and Interpretation of Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Recom-mendations, Attachments and Literature.
The Introduction explains the concept of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. Cerebral palsy is chronic, no progressive damage of the brain, which can be developed during pregnancy, birth or in the first few years of the postnatal period (the slow psychomotor early-development). Hydrocephalus represents increased quantity of cerebral liquid and expansion of the cerebral ventricles. The way of life and the everyday functioning depends on the type of the cerebral palsy and whether the child is diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Children with this diagnose cannot take care of themselves. They lose ability to control their muscles. The help of other person is needed because they have difficulties with the transfer, with sitting down and standing up.
In the Theoretical part are described definitions of cerebral palsy and hydro-cephalus from more than one author that are present in medical literature. Etiological facts for occurrence of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus are described, as well as the incidence and prevalence for both conditions. The early diagnostics of cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, the clinical picture, the classification and the rehabilitation are also shown in the theoretical part.
In the research is given the methodology of research and the subject, goal and character of research, quests, hypothesis, variables, methods, techniques and instruments, examples, processing of statistic data, place, time, organization and flow of research are defined. The subject of this research is estimation of the ability to perform the daily activities of the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and cerebral palsy and hydro-cephalus by themselves. The gained results give us opportunity to make the correlation of how the care is done by the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and how by the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus.
There were 64 examinees, divided in two groups of 32. In the first group, there were children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and in the second with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. The key point of this research is to elaborate how this group of children is struggling with daily activities and the level of self-reliance or level of dependence of other people. A questionnaire was created especially for this issue. The results from this research were gained through method of comparison. Received outcomes were statistically processed with help of χ² test and Fisher Exact test, with level of significance of p = 0.05.
The results indicate that 90% of the examinees had the need of other person for performing the daily activities and had difficulties and obstacles for performing them independently. 62.5% of persons with cerebral palsy and 59.4% of persons with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus are walking with help of tools or assistance of another person. Big percent of children with cerebral palsy (43.8%) and children with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus (40.6%) are dependent on another person while they go to the toilet.
According to the results from this research and their statistical processing it was concluded that there was statistical signifycance in the level of self-reliance or dependence on others for the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and the children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. This research showed that children with cerebral palsy have greater impairment of motor skills and mobility and therefore, their level of independence is smaller.