Cerebral palsy is not just one disorder but a group of disorders characterized by loss of movement or poor nerve functioning. It is also referred to as spastic paralysis. Cerebral palsy is commonly associated with birth defects but can occur at any age in life. It is associated with brain injury, specifically injury to the largest area of the brain known as the cerebrum. Sometimes, in cases where brain injury may occur during the birthing process, there are precautions that can be taken by the birthing physician to prevent or lessen the extent of brain damage. But cerebral palsy is not completely preventable and is a risk during birth to all babies.

Cerebral palsy was originally thought to be caused by lack of oxygen, strangulation, or other trauma during the birth process, commonly referred to as birth asphyxiation. Further research has not ruled out birth asphyxiation during the birthing process but has determined that in cases where cerebral palsy is present, birth asphyxiation is not usually the main cause of cerebral palsy. Further research on the disorder has determined that at some point certain areas of the brain receive less oxygen than others but why this happens is not known. This lessened amount of oxygen received by the brain is specifically referred to as hypoxia. If an infant is premature, this slightly increases their risk of having cerebral palsy. There are also childhood illnesses that an infant or toddler can contract that can damage the brain and cause cerebral palsy. Encephalitis, meningitis, and herpes simplex infections can cause optimum conditions for cerebral palsy to form. Blood vessel injuries and head trauma can also contribute to the condition.

Cerebral palsy can affect many areas of the brain, so there are a wide range of symptoms that can be experienced and many areas of the body can be affected. One of the classic traits of cerebral palsy is increased muscle tone, referred to as spasticity. One arm or one leg might be affected, or both legs, or maybe even one side of the body. Paralysis and limited movement are characteristic and usually accompanied by abnormalities in physical sensation. Impairments in hearing or sight are common and often coexist, as do speech deficits and seizures, intelllectual deficits, and limited movement. Cerebral palsy can be often detected beofre age two, sometimes as early as the first few months of life.

There are four types of cerebral palsy: spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, and mixed. While spastic cerebral palsy is by far the most common, the others are just as serious. Dyskinetic cerebral palsy encompasses uncontrollable twisting and jerking movements. The ataxic form involves abnormal movements of a different type and loss of coordination, and trembling. Mixed cerebral palsy can include any and all symptoms of the other types.

Despite the type and severity of cerebral palsy, there are some common symptoms shared among all sufferers. These include seizures, difficulty in feeding and possibly in digestion, difficulty breathing, problems with hearing and speaking, and poor eyesight. Delayed or absence of development in motor skills including walking, crawling, sitting, and rolling over might also be present in an infant. There might be problems with joints and the child could have a limited range of motion. Teeth might also be poorly developed due to lack of nutrition and feeding problems.

There are many tests that can be ran to diagnose cerebral palsy, including an MRI and blood tests. After tests determine the nature of the illness, there are no cures for it. There are treatments available including braces, medications, and hearing aids to help make life a bit more manageable but there is nothing that can make cerebral palsy go away. Sometimes surgery can help ease concurrent medical problems. Cerebral palsy can limit physically but does not affect the life span of a person who has it. With the proper care and medical devices, a person with cerebral palsy can live as long as the rest of the population.