What Is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is a physical disorder that impairs one’s movement, balance, and posture. The term cerebral correlates to the brain whereas palsy refers to the loss or impairment of motor function. The specific area impacted by cerebral palsy is the cerebral cortex (the part of the brain that controls muscle movement). Cerebral palsy is categorized into four main types based on the type of movement issues and affected body parts. The different types of cerebral palsy are:

• Spastic: Increased muscle tone; linked to stiff and awkward movements

• Dyskinetic: Uncontrollable and sometimes slow or jerky movements which can hinder one's ability to sit and walk properly as well as issues with talking and swallowing

• Ataxic: Causes issues with coordination and balance and may require assistance with precise movements such as reaching for items; uncontrollable movements of hands and arms are common

• Mixed palsy: Includes symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that develops pre-birth or early childhood and is caused by improper brain growth or harm to the developing brain. Possible harms to the developing brain that can lead to cerebral palsy include infections and issues with blood flow to the brain. The majority of people with cerebral palsy have congenital cerebral palsy (are born with it); it's rarer to have acquired cerebral palsy (gained after birth).

Risk factors of cerebral palsy include:

• Low birth weight

• Premature birth

• Being a twin or triplet

• Born to a mother who used toxic substances (alcohol, drugs, smoking) during pregnancy