Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common lifelong motor disability impacting more than 17,000,000 people around the world. CP is the result of damage to the developing brain and describes a group of movement disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture.
Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means having to do with weakness or problems with using the muscles. CP affects the part of the brain that controls muscle movements. CP is usually diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and is currently lifelong condition, although early detection and intervention can improve outcomes significantly.
While in many cases the specific causes of CP may be unknown, changes in blood flow, maternal infections, intrauterine stroke, injury or genetics may play a role. As a result, a person who has CP may not move in a typical way. Doctors have a growing understanding of the risk factors for CP, however there is still much we have to learn about why some babies develop CP and others do not. There are many babies who share similar risk factors yet develop very differently. The reasons for this are still not entirely clear and more research is needed.
The way CP impacts coordination, balance and movement have names like Spasticity (stiffness), Hypotonia (low tone), Dystonia (fluctuating tone), Athetosis and Chorea (extra, abnormal movements). These motor challenges can create lifelong and progressive changes for a person with CP even though the initial brain injury is not progressive. Motor challenges can range from minimal to profound, depending on the individual - ranging from weakness in one hand, to an almost complete lack of voluntary movement in all four limbs. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common presentation of cerebral palsy.
It’s important to also note that people with cerebral palsy can be at higher risk for vision and hearing issues, seizures, digestive problems, challenges with communication, sensory disorders, learning difficulties, scoliosis, chronic pain and mental health issues so it’s important to put together a care team who can help assess and evaluate these other considerations.
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Expert Videos
What is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral palsy refers to a group of conditions that are caused by problems in brain development and that affect how movement and motor control happen in children. Problems with walking and talking are...
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Key Facts - Gross Motor Severity CP describes a spectrum of conditions that affects individuals in many different ways. Your care team may use the term GMFCS which stands for Gross Motor Function Classification Scale and is used to describe what mobility aids your child may need to complete certain tasks. -
Key Facts - Motor Types of Cerebral Palsy The specific motor types present in CP are determined by the extent, type, and location of the brain injury. -
Cerebral Palsy Facts CP is the most common lifelong physical disability. Globally over 17 million people have cerebral palsy. -
Key Facts - Cause & Timing Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability in children caused by abnormal development or damage to the motor area of the brain’s outer layer (called the cerebral cortex), the part of the brain that directs muscle movement. This damage can occur before, during, or shortly after birth. -
Key Facts: Signs and Symptoms Infants with CP frequently have developmental and motor delays, in which they are slow to reach milestones such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, or walk. The symptoms of CP differ in type and severity from one person to the next, and may even change in an individual over time. -
Key Facts - Risk Factors for Cerebral Palsy There are some medical conditions or events that can happen during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly thereafter that may increase a baby's risk of being born with cerebral palsy. -
If My Child Has Been Diagnosed With CP, Does This Mean They Will Have Other Medical Conditions? For some the day-to-day problems faced by children and adults with cerebral palsy, and their carers, are not motor ones alone. It is important that you discuss other areas of your child's development if you have concerns. -
What is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral Palsy can be described by the way it affects movement and motor function, the part of the body affected and by how severe the impact is.
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Expert Videos
What is Gross Motor Function Classification System -
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How Does Cerebral Palsy Affect The Body? -
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Understanding Brain Injury in Cerebral Palsy -
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What is Cerebral Palsy?
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Talking with Professionals
Primary Care for Children and Youth with CP The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its recommendations for Primary Care Providers to provide a "Medical Home" for children and youth with cerebral palsy. This comprehensive update gives...
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New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 1- Weinberg Family Cerebral Palsy Center at Columbia University -
New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 3- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab & Northwestern University in Chicago -
New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 4- Scottish Rite for Children and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center -
New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 7 - Can Exercise and Physical Activity Help Reduce Spasticity and Improve Function? -
New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 9 - Do You Have Movements That Are Difficult To Control? Maybe It's Dyskinesia. -
New Horizons Virtual Town Hall 8 - Deep Dive Into Understanding Spasticity
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Support Tools
What is the International Classification of Function? The World Health Organization has developed the ‘International Classification of Function’. This gives us a way to think about any health condition. Here we can see many ideas that we need to think...
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Stories
The History and Origin of Cerebral Palsy If you’re a history nerd like me, then you probably wondered about the origin of cerebral palsy at least once in your life. As an ever-inquisitive kid, that was certainly at the forefront of my mind,...
"Cerebral" refers to the brain "palsy" refers to the loss of motor function.