Our Special Appeal
This year we have chosen for our Special Appeal the Hospital Raúl Orejuela Bueno (HROB)in its efforts to create the Children’s Neurodevelopment Centre.
The Hospital Raúl Orejuela Bueno is located in Palmira, the second largestcity of Valle del Cauca; the twentieth largest city in Colombia. It has approximately 356,000 inhabitants and this state owned hospital is the onlypublic institution that provides primary and specialist health services of low and medium complexity to the most vulnerable people of Palmira and the adjacent regions.
The main priorities of this hospital are to offer comprehensive maternal, perinatal and care to children through its team of doctors, gynaecologists, paediatricians, psychologists, nutritionists and therapists that focus on treating the different pathologies faced by the children in the region. Despite its important role for this region of Colombia, this hospital has not been able to provide the child neurodevelopmental stimulation services that are essential for the early diagnosis and care of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Why is this your support so vital for the hospital to reach its target of creating the Children’s Neurodevelopment Centre?
As of October 2021, 75,895 people were treated in outpatient services for the first time with neurological diagnosis. The greatest demand was concentrated in the group of children under 11 years of age, with a total of 12,408 children, representing 16,3% of the total population served of which 8,309 children were between 0-5 years old and 4,099 children between 6-11 years old.
What are the Neurodevelopmental Disorders?
They are neurologically based disorders that may affect the acquisition, retentionor use of skills that manifest as alterations in attention, memory, perception,reasoning, language, problem solving and social interaction. The most commonNeurodevelopmental Disorders are the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorderand the autism spectrum disorders, learning difficulties being the mostfrequent ones, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. They are verycommon and can occur in children without intellectual disabilities even inchildren with high intellectual functions. Intellectual disability, previouslycalled mental retardation, encompasses a whole range of clinical situations ofintellectual functions that limit the ability to cope with one or moreactivities of daily living (adaptive skills) in such a way that they requirepermanent help.
What is the cause of Neurodevelopmental Disorders?
There is not a single known cause, often genetic factors play a role and it isassociated with abnormalities in the production of neurotransmitters that aresubstances that transmit nerve impulses within the brain. There are riskfactors such as premature birth and low birth weight (less than 1500g) or even postmaturity,severe neonatal jaundice, head trauma, brain infection, iron deficiency andnutritional deficiencies, prenatal exposure to alcohol, tobacco or cocaine, HIVinfections, cytomegalovirus among others. In some cases, such as AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder, can be associated with traumatic events ofviolence, abuse or abandonment that occurred during childhood.
What are the effects of not identifying them and not treating them?
Children have trouble concentrating, not completing tasks, problems of communication and socially interacting with other children and adults, affecting their ability to learn, read, write, or study. This leads to academic problems and school dropouts - limiting their social interaction which can remain until adulthood, causing self-esteem issues, depression, anxiety, tolerance and frustration, alcoholism, drug addiction and even suicide.
What do we have at the HROB to make the diagnosis?
Multidisciplinary team made up of a paediatrician, a general practitioner, a nurse, a psychologist and a physical, speech and occupational therapist. The hospital takes care of the children in the health centres. The largest number of children and teenagers are treated in the Sesquicentennial Health centre, the Emilia HealthCare centre and the Basic Health Care centre (CAB). These 3 centres are the focus of the FOCSA Special Appeal.
How are the neurodevelopmental problems in children treated?
The multidisciplinary team establishes the therapeutic plan that may include medication with behavioural therapeutic interventions, promoting the development of skills and abilities related to learning capacity, memory language, social interaction and problem solving. To implement this plan, it is necessary the use of anthropometric equipment such as the one described below:
1 Audiometers for children
3 Baby scales
3 Children scales
3 Stadiometer for babies
3 Infantometers
The hospital is also requesting therapeutic equipment for rehabilitation and didactic learning equipment.
With this equipment the team seeks to promote comprehensive child health in the motor, social, behavioural, emotional and learning areas identifying early pathologies and managing risk through playing, this being the way in which a child relates and/or reacts with its environment before the age of six.
