Cerebral palsy

What is it?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a physical condition which affects the ability to control movement. It is a very varied condition and no two people who have it are the same. Some people are only mildly affected and need little or no special help; others are severely disabled and need a lot of help.

People with CP often have other disabilities too, including problems with hearing and eyesight, speech and language difficulties, and problems with their bones. Many people with CP have learning difficulties, but some are of average or above-average intelligence.

There is no cure for CP, but people who have it can be helped in various ways to deal with the effects of it.

What causes it?

CP is the result of damage occurring to certain parts of the brain either before, during, or after birth. In many cases, it is not possible to say what caused the damage. Sometimes it is due to the baby’s brain being deprived of oxygen during birth. Sometimes it is caused by the mother having an infection during pregnancy. Sometimes it is connected with the baby being premature. If it happens after birth, it is often because of an accident.

It is not possible to detect CP antenatally.

Looking after a child with CP

If your baby is diagnosed as having CP, which often cannot be done until some months after birth, you will be offered help and support from a team of professionals, who will advise on different aspects of care. The care he will need depends on how he is affected. As he gets older, he may need to have special equipment to help him in his everyday activities.

Although many children with CP need special care, they benefit from being involved in family life and normal activities as much as possible, and by being treated the same as other children as far as possible.

If you’d like to know more about CP, go to the Scope site which has links to other sites about CP.