New Treatment For Cerebral Palsy?

A 60 minutes report aired 2/25/04 described a treatment option for children born with cerebral palsy. This treatment, known as conductive education, was developed in Hungary by Dr. Andras Peto in the 1950s. The Peto Institute in Hungary claims 80% of the children they treat will be able to attend elementary school.

Certainly this is encouraging, as cerebral palsy can be a devastating condition. Often parents find few treatment alternatives for children with cerebral palsy. The Peto Institute offers hope for many of these children with CP and their parents.

Unfortunately, there is little data to support the claims of the Peto Institute. There is no evidence (other than testimonial) that conductive education is a "better" treatment. In fact, several studies show that conductive education offers no difference than traditional treatments. The United Cerebral Palsy Foundation has recommended further investigation of conductive education (CE) and the Peto techniques, but the claims of the Peto Institute should be taken with cautious skepticism.