Hesperian Health Guides
Preventing Secondary Disabilities
HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 3: Prevention of Disabilities > Preventing Secondary Disabilities
| This child, after polio, gradually developed contractures in her | The contractures (not the original paralysis) kept her from being able to stand or walk. |
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foot and knee |
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| If the contractures had been prevented through early and continued range-of-motion exercises, the child would have been able to stand and walk. Most contractures can be corrected. But it may take a long time and a lot of expense—perhaps even surgery. It is far better to: prevent contractures before they start. |
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Because contractures develop as a common complication in many disabilities, we discuss them in Chapter 8 and we discuss preventing them due to specific conditions throughout the book. Range-of-motion exercises to help prevent and correct contractures are described in Chapter 42. Use of plaster casts to correct contractures is described in Chapter 59.
Many other secondary disabilities will also develop unless preventive measures are taken. Some examples are pressure sores in children with spinal cord injury (see Chapter 24), spinal curve in a child with a weak back or with one leg shorter than the other (see Chapter 20), head injuries due to seizures. Preventive measures for many other secondary disabilities are discussed in the chapters on the specific disabilities.
In several places we discuss problems or disabilities that are commonly caused by medical treatment or orthopedic aids. For example,
- Phenytoin, a medicine for seizures, produces serious swelling of the gums in some children. This can partly be prevented by brushing the teeth regularly.
- Crutches that press hard under the armpit can damage nerves and gradually paralyze the hands. Shorter crutches, or lower-arm crutches (like those shown above) prevent this problem.
- Surgery is sometimes done to remove contractures that actually help a child to move or function better. So worse difficulties result. The benefits or possible harm of surgery should be carefully evaluated before it is done.
- Some braces or aids that help a child at first, may later actually hold her back.
To prevent these mistakes, it is essential to evaluate the needs of each child carefully, and repeat evaluations periodically. We must take great care to prevent further disability caused by treatment.
The first responsibility of a rehabilitation worker or parent, like the healer, should be to: DO NO HARM.
In addition to secondary disabilities that are physical, others may be psychological or social (affecting the child’s mind, behavior, or place in the community).
Some children with disabilities develop serious behavior problems. This is often because they find their bad behavior brings them more attention and rewards than their good behavior. Chapter 40 discusses ways that parents can understand their children's behavior to help them improve.
A major challenge for many people with disabilities is the lack of understanding and acceptance by other people. PART 2 of this book talks about how the community can be involved in taking a more active, supportive role in relating to people with disabilities and helping them to meet their needs. In PART 2 we also discuss what people with disabilities and their families can do, in the community, to promote better understanding and prevent disability from becoming a serious impairment.
Prevention of secondary disability is a basic part of rehabilitation.