Cerebral palsy is a general term used by doctors to refer to a set of neurological conditions (conditions that affect the brain and nervous system) that affect a child's movement and coordination.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, which normally occurs before, during, or soon after birth.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary from child to child. Some children will have problems walking, while others will be profoundly disabled and require life-long care.
It is estimated that 1 in every 400 children is born with cerebral palsy.
Children with cerebral palsy often have other related conditions. These include:
- Epilepsy.
- Learning difficulties.
- Incontinence.
- Impaired vision and/or hearing.
- Difficulties speaking or understanding other people speak.
- Delayed growth.
- Curved spine (scoliosis).
- Drooling (unintentional loss of saliva from the mouth).
Cerebral palsy is not a progressive condition, meaning that it will not get worse as your child gets older. However, cerebral palsy can put a great deal of strain on the body, which can cause problems in later life.
There is no cure for cerebral palsy, but there are a range of treatments that can help relieve symptoms and help increase a child's sense of independence and self-esteem.
Brain
The brain controls thought, memory and emotion. It sends messages to the body controlling movement, speech and senses.
Incontinence
Incontinence is when you pass urine (urinal incontinence), or stools or gas (faecal incontinence), because you cannot control your bladder or bowels.
Spine
The spine supports the skeleton, and surrounds and protects the delicate spinal cord and nerves. It is made up of 33 bones called the vertebrae.
