To What Extent Might Polio Hinder A Child’S Development?

Polio is a highly contagious disease caused by the poliovirus, which is more common in infants and is spread through feces or mucus. In about 1 in 200 cases, people with polio become paralyzed, usually affecting the arms, legs, or breathing muscles. The virus has been found in sewage samples in London, and all children aged one to nine years old are to be offered a polio booster jab.

Polio still exists, although cases have decreased by over 99 since 1988. Although Australia was declared polio-free 21 years ago, some survivors are living with the disease’s long-lasting effects, and fear a number might not even exist. The virus is most known for attacking the nervous system and causing paralysis, but very few children with polio develop paralysis.

In its most severe form, polio can lead to a person being unable to move certain limbs, also known as paralysis. It can also lead to problems with concentration and memory, pain, musculoskeletal abnormalities, muscle weakness, malnutrition, and more. The most significant complications of polio infection include paralysis with bulbar involvement, fatal respiratory and cardiovascular collapse, and muscle pain or weakness in muscles or joints.

Polio is a preventable disease, but even children who seem to fully recover can develop new muscle pain, weakness, or paralysis as adults 15 to 40 years later, known as post-polio syndrome. The World Health Organization continues its efforts to treat polio and ensure its safety and well-being for all.

Does polio affect brain development?

The study aims to investigate the causes of pain, weakness, and fatigue in poliomyelitis survivors with and without post-polio syndrome. It will first assess the integrity of central motor pathways in polio survivors with and without post-polio syndrome and investigate differences in intracortical mechanisms for controlling muscles affected and unaffected by polio. The study will involve 60 patients who survived polio in childhood, half of whom will have the post-polio syndrome, and 30 normal volunteers aged 21-80.

Patients will be screened at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, which will also perform sensory evoked potential testing. Motor evoked potentials will be elicited from all four limbs using transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess central motor conduction time and threshold. MRI scans of the brain or spine will be performed in patients with abnormal evoked potentials. Intracortical facilitation will be assessed using paired-pulse magnetic stimulation.

The study will include patients with complete screening evaluation, meeting clinical criteria for diagnosis of past polio, and having new muscle weakness. Patients must be 21 or older, meet clinical criteria for the diagnosis of PPS (PPS group only), and have new muscle weakness.

The study will exclude neurological diseases or conditions other than polio that may account for symptoms or interfere with experimental interventions. The inclusion criteria include complete screening evaluation, meeting clinical criteria for diagnosis of past polio, and having new onset of fatigue, weakness, atrophy, muscle pain, functional loss.

What famous person had polio as a child?

Polio is a disease that has affected millions of people worldwide, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, ballet soloist Tanaquil Le Clercq, and actress Mia Farrow. Roosevelt contracted the disease in 1921 at the age of 39 and used a wheelchair, despite attempting to hide his paralysis during public appearances. Le Clercq, who contracted the disease in 1956 at the age of 27, initially needed an iron lung but recovered to move freely using a wheelchair.

Other polio survivors include actors Alan Alda and Donald Sutherland, musicians Itzhak Perlman, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell, and photographer Dorothea Lange. In 1946, choreographer George Balanchine was asked to create a dance for a March of Dimes fundraiser in New York City, inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s nonprofit charity founded in 1938 to combat polio and help those who had contracted it. Balanchine, Le Clercq’s mentor and later her husband, created “Resurgence”, in which the ballerina dances a grim pas de deux with the figure of polio.

Will polio affect your lifespan?

Polio is a preventable, life-threatening disease that causes permanent paralysis of the arms, legs, or breathing muscles in less than 1 in 1 case. Between 5 and 10 people who develop paralytic polio will die. Physical symptoms may emerge 15 years or more after the first infection. Symptoms range from mild flu-like symptoms to paralysis and death. The late effects of polio, which occur 15 years or more after the first infection, can be relieved with aids and equipment like orthoses, braces, walking sticks, and electric scooters.

What age is most affected by polio?

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease primarily affecting children under five years old. It is transmitted through fecal-oral routes or common vehicles like contaminated water or food. The virus can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis. In 1988, the World Health Assembly launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which has led to a significant decrease in wild poliovirus cases.

Since 1988, wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99 percent, from an estimated 350, 000 cases in over 125 endemic countries to six reported cases in 2021. Wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 and type 3 in 2020. However, wild poliovirus type 1 remains in Pakistan and Afghanistan as of 2022.

What disabilities did polio cause?

Polio is a virus that primarily affects nerves in the spinal cord or brain stem, causing severe paralysis, difficulty breathing, and death. Despite global vaccination efforts, poliovirus still spreads in areas with low vaccination rates. The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns travelers to countries with a higher risk of polio, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and southern and central Asia. The disease is also known as poliomyelitis.

Did polio cause birth defects?

The study revealed no evidence of an increase in congenital defects or prematurity. However, fetal deaths were observed in 35 to 46 pregnancies complicated by poliomyelitis in the first trimester of gestation. Furthermore, the study revealed no evidence of an increase in the incidence of premature birth. The research was published in ScienceDirect and is protected by copyright and open access licensing terms.

What are the mental side effects of polio?

Patients with attention disorders, concentration difficulties, and memory and consciousness disorders experienced mental fatigue, despite not experiencing cognitive changes. These symptoms were not linked to depressive symptoms. The study found that these symptoms were not related to depressive symptoms. The research was published in ScienceDirect and is protected by copyright. The study also mentions the use of cookies and the Creative Commons licensing terms for open access content.

Can a child recover from polio?

Polio is a disease with no cure, but treatments are used to manage symptoms. Mild cases typically require fluids and bed rest, while severe cases may require medication and physical therapy. If breathing muscles are affected, a mechanical ventilator may be needed. Mild cases usually recover within 1-2 weeks, while severe cases can cause paralysis or death. Post-polio syndrome can develop up to 30-40 years after initial illness, causing pain or weakness in muscles or joints and increased fatigue. Despite the challenges, polio treatment is crucial for managing symptoms and preventing long-term complications.

Does polio stunt growth?

As a child matures, bone growth is influenced by muscle pull and weight bearing, which can result in some individuals developing polio with a shorter and smaller arm, leg, or foot compared to non-affected or less affected limbs.

How does polio affect children?

Poliomyelitis, a highly infectious disease, primarily affects children under five years old. One in 200 infections can lead to irreversible paralysis, with 5-10 dying when their breathing muscles become immobilized. In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio, marking the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Since then, the incidence of polio worldwide has decreased by 99, and the world is on the threshold of eradicating a human disease globally for only the second time in history, after smallpox in 1980.

Wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99 since 1988, from an estimated 350, 000 cases in over 125 endemic countries to just two endemic countries as of October 2023. The virus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.