Cerebral Palsy is a disability that can affect those who suffer with it in many different ways. Ii is primarily a disorder if posture, muscle tone and movement which has resulted from brain damage which occurred during or some time after birth. The most common cause of Cerebral Palsy occurs during the gestation period in the womb. These factors account for roughly 80% of sufferers conditions. These include genetic problems, malformation of the brain and in some cases infections such as Rubella. How severe the level of Cerebral Palsy is depends on which parts of the brain are damaged.

Infections in babies such as meningitis can also lead to Cerebral Palsy. In some cases it can be hard to determine the exact cause of CP.

There are four main types of Cerebral Palsy or CP, Spastic, Athetoid (or Dystinetic), Ataxic and Mixed Cerebral Palsy.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy is not very severe. Some of the body's muscles are tight, stiff and weak making control of the movements of these muscles difficult. Around 70% of CP sufferers have this level of Cerebral Palsy.

Athetoid ( or Dystinetic) Cerebral Palsy is more severe although not as severe as Ataxic or Mixed CP. Those with this level of Cerebral Palsy have less control of their muscles as they are susceptible to spontaneous and unwanted movements. This can be interpreted as muscles spasms and to an extent this is true although unlike most muscle spasms they can not always be controlled. Sufferers of this level of CP also lack control of their posture. Around 10% of sufferers have this level of Cerebral Palsy.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy has many affects on the body. These include difficulty in balancing, hand and feet movements are shaky and differing levels of speech difficulty. 

Mixed Cerebral Palsy is simply a combination of two or more types of Cerebral Palsy and can have very strong effects on the body.

As with any condition and disability there are a number of symptoms. With Cerebral Palsy these can take a number of months to occur and depend on the type of Cerebral Palsy.

Symptoms include abnormal tone in limbs such as how stiff or floppy they are. In Spastic CP limbs may be drawn in towards the body and stiff. In Athetoid CP the child may develop writhing movements which are irregular. There may be lack of coordination in the muscles of the mouth which can cause a number of problems with eating and speech. There may be delayed milestones in the child's development such as late crawling and walking developments. 

Other symptoms are weakness and paralysis of limbs, an abnormal gait and slowness in the development of speech and social skills. 

Cerebral Palsy can cause a number of problems. One in three children and adolescents with CP will have or develop Epilepsy, a condition which also affects the brain. Other Problems can include difficulty in walking, writing, eating, talking. It can also mean the lack of ability to dress ones self. Controlling and maintaining posture can be very difficult and assistance in sitting upright may be needed. CP can also cause visual and hearing problems of differing levels. 

It has been common knowledge that those with Cerebral Palsy have learning difficulties however this is not the case. This common misconception has arisen due to the fact that CP can affect the control of facial movements and speech making it difficult to understand those with Cerebral Palsy at first. However, in some cases those with Cerebral Palsy may have moderate to severe learning difficulties whilst other sufferers can be highly intelligent and go on to achieve extraordinary things. 

There is NO cure for Cerebral Palsy, however the impact of symptoms can be reduced and managed in a number of ways. Symptoms such as Spasticity can improved as can any speech impediments improving communication skills. One simple method of easing symptoms is to simply find another way of doing some things. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can play in important part in reducing these symptoms.

Cerebral Palsy is best treated whilst the child is still very young. This is because the brain changes a lot during the first few years as the child develops. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct the deformities that develop as a result of abnormal muscle development and function associated with CP. Medication can help with spasticity and hyperactivity, however physiotherapy is the best treatment for the management of Cerebral Palsy. This is because physio gives better aid in movement and posture and also may stop progression of the disability in most cases. 

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Last modified: February 06, 2008