Cerebral palsy (cp) is a term used to describe a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination. The medical definition of CP is a non-progressive but not unchanging disorder of movement and/or posture, due to an insult to or anomaly of the developing brain.
Development of the brain starts in early pregnancy and continues until about age three. Damage to the brain during this time may result in CP. This damage interferes with messages from the brain to the body, and from the body to the brain.
The effects of CP vary widely from individual to individual. At its mildest, CP may result in a slight awkwardness of movement or hand control. At its most severe, CP may result in virtually no muscle control, profoundly affecting movement and speech.
Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur:
The brain damage which caused CP may also lead to other conditions such as:
It is important to remember that limbs affected by CP are not paralyzed and can feel pain, heat, cold and pressure. It is also important to remember that, just because someone with CP may not be able to speak, it does not mean she has nothing to say. The degree of physical disability experienced by a person with CP is not an indication of her level of intelligence.
CP is not a progressive condition - damage to the brain is a one time event so it will not get worse - and people with CP have a normal life span. Although the condition is not progressive, the effects of CP may change over time. Some may improve: for example, a child whose hands are affected may be able to gain enough hand control to write and to dress herself. Others may get worse: tight muscles can cause problems in the hips and spines of growing children which require orthopaedic surgery; the aging process can be harder on bodies with abnormal posture or which have had little exercise.
Any damage to the developing brain, whether caused by genetic or developmental disorders, injury or disease, may produce CP.
Anything which tends to produce a premature or low birth weight baby who is not developed enough to cope with the stresses of independent life will increase the likelihood of CP. Factors which may cause CP include:
A labour which is too long or too abrupt can cause damage. The baby's head may be squeezed and injured. Poor oxygen supply may destroy brain tissue.
CP can occur im a young child's brain is damaged by:
Not many years ago, CP was usually described as being caused by a lack of oxygen at birth . Researchers have come to realize that the causes are more complex. A difficult labour may be a symptom rather than a cause of CP. Many people with CP are born prematurely, but other families sail through pregnancy and delivery to be hit by CP--out of the blue. Every person with CP asks--Why did this happen to me?--and every parent of a child with CP asks--Did I do anything wrong? In most instances, these questions will never be answered to your satisfaction. As one mother said--When I stopped saying--why me?--I was ready to accept my sons CP and look to the future.