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Cerebral palsy (CP)
is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive,
non-contagious conditions that cause physical disability
in human development.
Cerebral refers to the affected area of the brain;
the cerebrum (however the centers have not been
perfectly localised and the disease most likely
involves connections between the cortex and other
parts of the brain such as the cerebellum), and
palsy refers to disorder of movement. CP is caused
by damage to the motor control centers of the young
developing brain and can occur during pregnancy
(about 75 percent), during childbirth (about 5 percent)
or after birth (about 15 percent) up to about age
three.
It is a non-progressive disorder, meaning the brain
damage does not worsen, but secondary orthopedic
difficulties are common. There is no known cure
for CP. Medical intervention is limited to the treatment
and prevention of complications possible from CP's
consequences.
Onset of arthritis and osteoporosis can occur much
sooner in adults with CP. Further research is needed
on adults with CP, as the current literature body
is highly focused on the pediatric patient. CP's
resultant motor disorder(s) are sometimes, though
not always, accompanied by "disturbances of
sensation, cognition, communication, perception,
and/or behavior, and/or by a seisure disorder".
CP is the second-most expensive developmental disability
to manage over the course of a person's lifetime
(second to mental disabilities), with an average
lifetime cost per person of £600,000. The
incidence in the six countries surveyed is approximately
an average of 2.12–2.45 per 1000 live births;
there has been a slight increase in recent years.
Although improvements in neonatal nursing help reduce
the number of babies who develop cerebral palsy,
they also mean that babies with very low birth weights
survive, and these babies are more likely to have
cerebral palsy.
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| Bobath Children's
Therapy Centre Wales is a registered charity that
depends on donations and the fundraising efforts
of our friends and supporters to enable us to see
every child with cerebral palsy who needs us.
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