Cerebral palsy

Tzuri Frankenthal gives a first-person account of his experience as a patient with cerebral palsy at Children's Memorial. Read more.

Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development before, during, or shortly following birth or during infancy.

"Cerebral" refers to the brain and "palsy" to muscle weakness and poor control. Cerebral palsy itself is not progressive (i.e., it does not get worse) however, secondary conditions can develop which may get better over time, get worse, or remain the same. Cerebral palsy is not communicable. It is not a disease and should never be referred to as such. Although cerebral palsy is not "curable" in the accepted sense, training and therapy can help improve function.

What are the effects?

Cerebral palsy is characterized by an inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination. Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur:

  • Muscle tightness
  • Involuntary spasms
  • Movement disturbance in gait and mobility
  • Abnormal sensation and perception
  • Impairment of sight, hearing or speech
  • Seizures
  • Mental retardation

What are the causes?

Any damage to the brain, whether caused by genetic or developmental disorders, injury or disease, may produce cerebral palsy. One important cause is an insufficient amount of oxygen reaching the fetal or newborn brain.

Premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus, awkward birth position of the baby, labor that is too long or too abrupt, or interference with circulation in the umbilical cord can interrupt oxygen supply.

Premature birth, low birth weight, RH or A-B-O blood type incompatibility between mother and infant, infection of the mother with German measles or other virus diseases in early pregnancy, and micro-organisms that attack the infant's central nervous system also are risk factors for cerebral palsy.

Most causes of cerebral palsy are related to the development and childbearing processes and, since the condition is not inherited, the condition is often called congenital cerebral palsy. A less common type is acquired cerebral palsy; head injury is the most frequent cause, usually the result of motor vehicle accidents, falls, or child abuse. Another cause is brain infection.

Are there different types of cerebral palsy?

There are three main types:

  • Spastic — stiff and difficult movement
  • Athetoid — involuntary and uncontrolled movement
  • Ataxic — disturbed sense of balance and depth perception There may be a mixture of theses types for any individual.

Other types do occur, although infrequently.

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