Child Development Centre

kids playing

The Centre for Child Development was founded in August 2007 as part of Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital which has been operating as the only Pediatric Hospital in East and Central Africa for the past 60years or so. There was growing need to cater for the children with various developmental delays who had no avenue to address their issues. Initially the centre started off with only the physiotherapy and occupational therapy units which were already in place to take care of the in-patients.

However it was quickly realized that children with various other difficulties e.g. speech, physical and mental disabilities would benefit from our services and we have since expanded to involve various other fields. We are proud of our past, and our accomplishments. Our desire to meet the challenges of a growing population is reflected in the quality and diversity of the services we provide.

WHO TO REFER

For The Healthcare Providers

  • ALL children aged between 0-18years presenting with any one or more of the conditions listed below:
  • Delayed milestones
  • Hypotonia from Rickets, Down’s Syndrome
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Club foot(Talipes equinovarus)
  • Post meningitis complications/sequelae
  • Epilepsy
  • Convulsive disorder
  • Delayed speech
  • Stammering
  • Cleft lip/palate
  • Autistic Children
  • Children with Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Deafness partial or total
  • Mental retardation
  • School truants/disruptive children
  • Burnt patients especially those with injuries involving joints
  • Sports injuries: sprains, fractures-post cast removal; physiotherapy is required to avoid stiffening of the joints.

For parents/public

The centre provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and advice for the wide range of difficulties that can affect a growing child. For example:

  • Delay or abnormality in normal development
  • Speech and language difficulties
  • Vision and hearing difficulties
  • Learning difficulties
  • Social and communication problems
  • Feeding difficulties
  • Behavior linked with developmental delay

SERVICES

The Child Development Centre offers the following services:

  • Paediatric assessment by Pediatric neurologist and pediatric neurodevelopment specialist
  • Paediatric Neurologist: specialist doctor in the field of neural medicine who: makes the appropriate diagnosis ,interprets the physical manifestations of disease prognosis, prescribes necessary medications involved in follow-up
  • Paediatric Neurodevelopment Specialist makes diagnosis, assesses the overall neuro-developmental impact of disease on the patient determines the type of therapy appropriate for each patient i.e. physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy etc and follows up on progress and determines when to change course of therapy, intensify etc
  • Physiotherapy – a health care profession which provides services to individuals in order to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout life
  • Occupational therapy- often abbreviated as “OT”, incorporates meaningful and purposeful occupation to enable people with limitations or impairments to participate in everyday life.
  • Education and clinical psychology
  • Speech therapy
  • Audiometry
  • Provision of orthopedic equipment like splints, special seats, crutches, shoes etc

THE TEAM

  • Paediatric Neurologist
  • Paediatric Neuro- Developmental Specialist
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physiotherapist
  • Speech and language therapist
  • Clinical psychologist
  • Education psychologist
  • Nutritionist
  • Orthopedic technician
  • Nursing staff
  • Paediatric Neurologist