Cerebral palsy
Overview
Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination. It's caused by a problem with the brain that develops before, during or soon after birth.
Symptoms
The symptoms of cerebral palsy are not usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable from an early age. Symptoms can include: delays in reaching development milestones – for example, not sitting by 8 months or not walking by 18 monthsseeming too stiff or too floppyweak arms or legsfidgety, jerky or clumsy movementsrandom, uncontrolled movementswalking on tiptoesa range of other problems – such asswallowing problems, speaking problems, vision problems andlearning disabilities The severity of symptoms can vary significantly. Some people only have minor problems, while others may be severely disabled. Read more about the symptoms of cerebral palsy
Causes
Cerebral palsy can happen if a baby's brain does not develop normally while they're in the womb, or is damaged during or soon after birth. Causes of cerebral palsy include: bleeding in the baby's brain or reduced blood and oxygen supply to their brainan infection caught during pregnancythe brain temporarily not getting enough oxygen (asphyxiation) during a difficult birthmeningitisaserious head injury But in many cases, the exact cause is not clear. Read more about the causes of cerebral palsy
Treatment
There's currently no cure for cerebral palsy, but treatments are available to help people with the condition be as active and independent as possible. Treatments include: physiotherapy– techniques such as exercise and stretching to help maintain physical ability and hopefully improve movement problemsspeech therapy to help with speech and communication, and swallowing difficultiesoccupational therapy– where a therapist identifies problems that you or your child have carrying out everyday tasks, and suggests ways to make these easiermedicine for muscle stiffness and other difficultiesin some cases, surgery to treat movement or growth problems A team of healthcare professionals will work with you to come up with a treatment plan that meets your or your child's needs. Read more about treatments for cerebral palsy