ce•re•bral / of the brain
pal•sy / lack of muscle control
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term that refers to a group of disorders affecting a person’s ability to move. It is due to damage to the developing brain either during pregnancy or shortly after birth.
Cerebral palsy affects people in different ways and can affect body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance. Although cerebral palsy is a permanent life-long condition, some of these signs of cerebral palsy can improve or worsen over time.
People who have cerebral palsy may also have visual, learning, hearing, speech, epilepsy and intellectual impairments.
an Australian child is born with cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is the most common physical
disability in childhood.
In Australia there are approximately 34,000 people with cerebral palsy. Worldwide, the incidence of cerebral palsy is 1 in 500 births. There are currently 17 million people in the world who have cerebral palsy.
For most people with cerebral palsy, the cause is unknown. There is no known cure for cerebral palsy.