What is Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is normally caused by brain damage that happens before or during a baby's birth or the first 3 to 5 years of a child's life. The disorder that effects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills and may cause other health issues such as vision, hearing and speech problems as well as learning disabilities. 

Cerebral Palsy can not be cured. There is treatments, therapy, special equipment and surgeries that can help kids who are living with CP. 

Cerebral Palsy is the most common congenital disorder of childhood. This means that the disorder is present at or before birth. There are approximately 500,000 children in the U.S. that have the condition. 

There are three types of Cerebral Palsy. Spastic that causes stiffness and movement difficulties, Athetoid that leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements, and Ataxic that causes problems with balance and depth perception. Cerebral Palsy effects muscle control and coordination. Something that seems very simple and yet is hard for an individual with cerebral palsy to do is to simply stand still. Breathing, bladder and bowel control, eating and talking may all be affected by Cerebral Palsy. The disability does not get worst over time.

Cerebral Palsy has no real reason or cause. Many cases are the results of problems during pregnancy when a fetus brain is damaged or does not develop normally. Infection, maternal health problems, genetic disorder, or something else may interfere with normal brain development. Rarely problems during labor and delivery can cause CP. 

Premature babies weighing less than 3.3 lbs. have a higher chance of having CP than other babies carried to term. Other low birthweight babies and multiple birth babies have a higher chance of developing cerebral palsy.

A baby or toddler who suffers from damage from lead poisoning, bacterial meningitis, poor blood flow to the brain, being shaken as an infant or being in a car accident can lead to cerebral palsy as well.