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Cerebral Palsy-- Let's Break This Down

Cerebral: having to do with the brain

Palsy: weakness or difficulty with using the muscles

 

Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood that affect the body’s movement and muscle coordination, and possibly the ability to maintain posture and balance

FAST FACTS

  • Average prevalence is in 3.3 children per 1000 live births

  • It is more common in girls than boys

  • It is typically diagnosed 1 to 2 years after birth, but a reliable diagnosis might not be made until 4 or 5 years

  • It is the most common physical disability in childhood

  • Cerebral Palsy is not life threatening, but co-concurring factors may impact the lifespan of an individual with CP

  • Intellectual Disabilities are present in about 30-50% of cases

  • Speech Language disorders are present in over 1/3 of those diagnosed with CP

  • Over half of those diagnosed with CP can walk independently

  • Cerebral Palsy is not a progressive disorder, so the symptoms and movement abilities tend to remain the same throughout life. Some people may have to undergo orthopedic surgery or other interventions to correct any damage that may have been caused.  

What Other Conditions are Associated with Cerebral Palsy?

  • Intellectual disability 

  • Seizures 

  • Delayed growth

  • Spinal Deformities

  • Impaired vision (typically have a strabismus-cross eye)

  • Impaired hearing 

  • Speech and Language disorders -may not be related to cognitive impairment

  • Drooling

  • Incontinence

  • Learning difficulties-spatial and auditory processing and brain damage may impact language and intellectual functioning

  • Abnormal sensations or perceptions

  • Higher risk of heart and lung disease

  • Contractures: painfully fixed in abnormal positions

  • Malnutrition

)Boston Children's Hospital, n.d.)

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016)

(Cerebral Palsy Alliance, 2016)

(CerebralPalsy.org, n.d.)

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