Physicians' Ineffective Communication Leading to Cerebral Injuries in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Inspirational enlightenment has guided me to write this review article while encountering, during my practice as a pediatrician, referred cases of previously stable, positively progressing cerebral palsy (CP) children who had not yet celebrated their first teen birthday but ended up being in a deep coma and mechanical ventilation-dependent post a cardiac arrest outside the hospital. The dramatic end was believed to be probably caused by food aspiration, which could have been prevented by effective counseling to the in-denial, struggling parents about their children’s condition. This report tries to emphasize the importance of effective communication between physicians and caregivers of children who were diagnosed with CP. The importance is elaborated by linking the level of the provided communication/education to the caregivers with cerebral injuries, such as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), which potentially could have been prevented among CP children. The sequence of the injury is believed to be initiated by aspiration of food, which resulted in apnea/asphyxia, followed by a cardiopulmonary arrest outside hospital settings. Such a life-threatening event is hypothesized to be the leading cause of non-reversible intracranial injuries to the CP child of misinformed/unaware parents. Data on unsolved parental status, parent-provider miscommunications, and aspiration pneumonia leading to cerebral injuries and their permanent neurological insult in CP children were reviewed.