Cerebral Palsy is caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain that occurs when the brain is at a crucial stage of development in the womb, during birth or in the weeks or months after birth. Causes of the disability are many but include genetic conditions, a lack of oxygen and blood supply to the brain, prematurity, meningitis and serious head injury. However, in many cases, the cause is not clear. Brain damage at a later stage in life does not cause Cerebral Palsy.
Cerebral Palsy changes the way the body moves, by affecting the tone, control and coordination of the muscles. It can also affect posture and balance. The term ‘Cerebral Palsy’ does not include learning disability or problems with vision or hearing but people with the condition may also have problems in these areas. Some children only have mild problems whereas others have more severe disabilities.
The signs of Cerebral Palsy are not usually present at birth but become more obvious over the first year of life. There may be delay in your baby reaching their milestones, or it may be noticed that your baby has abnormal muscle development (characterised by either tightness or weakness) or there can be [not needed] difficulties in feeding, seeing or speaking.
Cerebral Palsy changes the way the body moves, by affecting the tone, control and coordination of the muscles. It can also affect posture and balance. The term ‘Cerebral Palsy’ does not include learning disability or problems with vision or hearing but people with the condition may also have problems in these areas. Some children only have mild problems whereas others have more severe disabilities.
The signs of Cerebral Palsy are not usually present at birth but become more obvious over the first year of life. There may be delay in your baby reaching their milestones, or it may be noticed that your baby has abnormal muscle development (characterised by either tightness or weakness) or there can be [not needed] difficulties in feeding, seeing or speaking.
There are three types of cerebral palsy:
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This is the most common form of Cerebral Palsy, and is seen in around 75% of cases.
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This is the least common, and considered the least debilitating form of Cerebral Palsy
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This can be split into Choreoathetoid Cerebral Palsy and Dystonic Cerebral Palsy
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Mixed Cerebral Palsy
Many people are affected by more than one type of Cerebral Palsy and the symptoms affect sufferers to varying degrees. When someone has more than one type of Cerebral Palsy it is called 'Mixed Cerebral Palsy'.
Many people are affected by more than one type of Cerebral Palsy and the symptoms affect sufferers to varying degrees. When someone has more than one type of Cerebral Palsy it is called 'Mixed Cerebral Palsy'.
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What causes Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral Palsy is caused by abnormal development or damage to areas of the brain before, during or shortly after birth. In around 90% of cases the condition could not have been prevented. It is not a progressive disorder, meaning that the damage to the brain will not get any worse, however the symptoms can increase in severity over time. If you are at risk of an early premature delivery, for example if you are pregnant with twins or have a short cervix, your doctor should have risk assessed your pregnancy to try and prevent preterm labour. Risk factors include multiple gestations (i.e. twins, triplets), mothers who are obese, those at risk of premature births, babies with a low birth weight, people with infections during pregnancy and/or issues during labour. While there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that Cerebral Palsy can be traced genetically, some of the risk factors certainly can be. |
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