According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect your child’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood. “Cerebral” means having to do with the brain. “Palsy” means weakness or problems using the muscles.

CP can be mild to severe and does not get worse over time. However, symptoms can change throughout a person’s life. Severe CP may require the use of special equipment to walk or a wheelchair and lifetime care. A person with mild CP might not need any special equipment and may just walk awkwardly.

What causes cerebral palsy?

CP is caused by damage to the developing brain, most often before birth, or abnormal brain development. According to the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation, CP is not genetic or hereditary; however, researchers generally believe that a genetic predisposition to certain characteristics like prematurity or heart problems may potentially act as the start of a causal pathway that can result in a person having cerebral palsy.

Risk factors include:

• Premature birth (earlier than 37 weeks)
• Prolonged oxygen loss during pregnancy or the birth process
• Low birth weight
• Being a twin, triplet or other multiple birth, which increases the chances of prematurity and low birth weight
• Being male
• Severe jaundice shortly after birth
• Blood clotting problems
• Placental inability to provide a developing fetus with oxygen and nutrients
• Blood type incompatibility between mother and baby
• Maternal infection early in pregnancy with German measles or other viral diseases
• Maternal, fetal or infant bacterial infection that attacks the child’s central nervous system

What are the symptoms of CP?

Signs of CP appear in infancy through preschool years and can be mild to severe. If your child has one or more of the following symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with their pediatrician/primary care provider:

• Exaggerated reflexes
• Floppy arms, legs or trunk
• Stiff muscles/spasticity
• Irregular posture
• Uncontrollable movements
• Unsteady walk
• Difficulty swallowing
• Eyes not focusing on the same object
• Reduced range of motion

Can cerebral palsy be cured?

While CP cannot be cured, it is treatable, and the condition generally stays the same over time and does not get worse. Treating CP requires a multispecialty team, and the medical specialists on that care team will depend on how CP is affecting the patient.

Depending on the severity of CP, the following conditions may occur:

• Difficulty or inability to walk
• Difficulty swallowing
• Intellectual disabilities
• Epilepsy
• Visual issues or blindness
• Deafness

If you or your child has cerebral palsy, you are not alone. Besides your child’s medical team, many community and online resources are available. Some of these resources include:

• United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona: Serving Maricopa County and neighboring communities, specializes in providing a “Lifespan of Services,” including pediatric therapy, an early learning center, adult day programs and home and community-based services
  • Tucson and neighboring communities: United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Arizona
• The Cerebral Palsy Guide: Provides important information online and support for families affected by cerebral palsy
• My Cerebral Palsy Child: Online information and support; will also send a book called Cerebral Palsy Childcare Companion free, upon request