**2. Effects of cerebral palsy**

CP is a complex societal problem characterized, by social, psychological and economic implications requiring a collective multi-sectoral approach [2]. Parents often suffer from stress emanating from a number of factors; family members that feels taking care of a child with cerebral palsy is a waste of time and resources [6], financial strains that is incurred from medical expenses, transportation, nutrition, buying nappies as this child may spend the rest of her life in disposable nappies [5, 6] and many more. Despite all challenges endured by parents in caring for their children with CP, parents' attitude towards their children remains positive. They are optimistic about the condition of their children and also believe that physiotherapy is a beneficial intervention in the management of their children [3]. These hopes that parents have for their children is the driving force behind their existence.

### **2.1 Cerebral palsy and quality of parental life**

Parenting a child requires considerable resources and time, but the demand for these resources may increase if the child to be cared for is mentally or physically challenged. To manage and cope with a child 's functional limitation and possible life- long dependence presents a multifaceted challenge for parents as well as the entire family [7]. Although some parents cope well with the additional demand of raising a child with CP, some studies showed that parents of such children experience

#### *Impact of Cerebral Palsy on Parents and Families DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106470*

tension and struggle especially the mothers who has to be with this child most of the time providing care. Mothers of such children are overwhelmed with the caring responsibilities, some of them left even their formal employment to stay home with their disabled children. Relinquishing one 's career may pause a significant setback to ones' life [8]. In some cases, mothers failed to take care of their own health and that of other siblings, thus affecting the physical and psychological health and, ultimately the quality of life of parents.

Caring for a child with CP may affect the quality of life for parents and families in many ways. Generally, parents of children with CP show high stress levels [2] and depression with ill-mental state compared to parents of children without disabilities. CP is a multifaceted disorder accompanied by several functional limitations. Although motor function is considered as the main challenge of CP, this developmental disorder is also accompanied by several limitations, such as sensory, communication and intellectual challenges [7]. Caring is a noble activity cherished by most of the mothers caring for young children in every community. This noble function may become a nightmare, when the child to be cared for is having functional limitations. Mothers of such children may go to an extent of diverting their focus from other important issues in the family and concentrate on the caregiving activities. Activities of the daily living may be overlooked, so as the other members in the family who might be depending on this caregiver for existence. This may however, results in high stress levels, anxiety and depression among caregivers.

Apart from the caregiving responsibilities, mothers of children with functional limitations are often challenged by chronic health- related problems that these children may experience in life. Several studies have affirmed that, most of the children born with CP usually suffers from one or two chronic conditions [2]. Thus, parents have to find means to respond to the health needs of the child with CP either through seeking for professional help from formal recognized health institutions or through home based therapies. Caring for a child with CP may affect the physical well- being, social well- being, freedom, independence of parents. The demands for caring for such a child has further created greater stress than the severity of the child 's disability, as it was revealed in one study, where parents with children born with CP felt that they were more disabled than the people there were caring for [9].

Parents of children with CP have lower quality of life which is associated with high levels of stress, anxiety and depression: The high stress level and depression is often associated with factors such as child's behavior, cognitive problems, low caregiver self-efficacy and low social support [7]. Therefore, due to the physical, psychological and social challenges that parents of children with CP usually experience, there should be an ongoing intervention like social, psychological and financial support to alleviate suffering among such parent.
