Cerebral Palsy (cp) is a not disease or an illness. It is the description of a physical impairment that affects movement. The movement problems vary from barely noticeable to extremely severe. No two people with cp are the same - it is as individual as people themselves.'Cerebral Palsy' includes a variety of conditions. The three main types correspond to injury to different parts of the brain:
Cerebral palsy is most commonly the result of failure of a part of the brain to develop, either prior to birth or in early childhood. This is sometimes because of bleeding or blocked vessels, complications in labour or extreme prematurity. Infections during pregnancy, e.g. rubella or encephalitis, can also lead to cp. Occasionally, it is due to an inherited disorder; in such cases genetic counselling may be helpful. It is sometimes possible to identify the cause of Cerebral Palsy, but not always.
Improvements in maternity services and neonatal care have resulted in fewer babies developing cp due to a shortage of oxygen at birth or jaundice. However, medical advances also enable more babies at a very low birth weight a better chance of survival. Medical studies have shown a distinct connection between very low weight and cp. These babies are more prone to the condition developing. In recent years, there has been a slight increase in the proportion of children who have cp; currently about one in every 400 births is affected. Amongst these, the percentage of severely affected and people with more profound disabilities is growing. These families need our support and this will most likely continue throughout their lives.
No, but we do know that correct treatment from an early age can ease the effects of cp. Occasionally children who appear to have cp lose the outwards signs as they get older. Most importantly, having a disability does not mean that someone cannot lead a full and independent life.
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