Resources on Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive neurological physical disabilities in the development of human movement and posture. CP arises from disturbances in the developing fetal or infant brain. The incidence in developed countries is approximately 2-2.5 per 1000 live births, and incidence has not declined over the last 60 years despite medical advances like electro-fetal monitoring.

Often, CP's resultant motor disorder(s) are accompanied by "disturbances of sensation, cognition, communication, perception, and/or behavior, and/or by a seizure disorder" (Rosenbaum et al, 2005).

Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive disorder, but secondary orthopaedic deformities are common, such as hip dislocation and scoliosis of the spine. There is no known cure for CP: medical intervention is limited to the treatment and prevention of complications possible from CP's consequences. Overall, cerebral palsy ranks among the most monetarily costly congenital conditions in the world to manage effectively.

Cerebral palsy is divided into four major classifications to describe the different movement impairments. These classifications reflect the area of brain damaged. Cerebral palsy can occur during pregnancy (~75%), at birth (~5%) or after birth (~15%). 80% of causes are unknown; for the small number where cause is known this can include infections, malnutrition, and/or significant head injury in very early childhood.

Excerpt of "Cerebral palsy." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 7 Oct 2006, 13:43 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 7 Oct 2006 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cerebral_palsy&oldid=80024493