About Cerebral Palsy | What is CP? | CerebralPalsy.org

What is Cerebral Palsy?

While Cerebral Palsy (pronounced seh-ree-brel pawl-zee) is a blanket term commonly described by loss or impairment of motor function, Cerebral Palsy is actually caused by brain damage.

The brain damage is caused by brain injury or abnormal development of the brain that occurs while a childs brain is still developing before birth, during birth, or immediately after.

Cerebral Palsy affects body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. It can also impact fine motor skills, gross motor skills and oral motor functioning.

Signs and symptoms of Cerebral Palsy may not always be apparent at birth. The child will likely experience a delay in development and growth milestones.

About two to three children out of every 1,000 have Cerebral Palsy studies in the United States studies have yielded rates as low as 2.3 per 1,000 children to as high as 3.6 per 1,000 children.

Today, although there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy, but the condition can be managed and individuals with Cerebral Palsy can live a long, healthy and quality life. To learn about the various aspects of Cerebral Palsy, click on the links below.

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About Cerebral Palsy | What is CP? | CerebralPalsy.org