CEREBRAL PALSY
What is Cerebral Palsy?
The
term cerebral palsy refers to any one of a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and
permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination but don’t worsen over time. Even though cerebral palsy
affects muscle movement, it isn’t caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. It is caused by abnormalities in
parts of the brain that control muscle movements. The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with it, although
it may not be detected until months or years later. The early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child reaches
3 years of age. The most common are a lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements (ataxia); stiff
or tight muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity); walking with one foot or leg dragging; walking on the toes, a crouched
gait, or a “scissored” gait; and muscle tone that is either too stiff or too floppy. A small number of children
have cerebral palsy as the result of brain damage in the first few months or years of life, brain infections such as bacterial
meningitis or viral encephalitis, or head injury from a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or child abuse.
For more information please click on the following link:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cerebral_palsy/cerebral_palsy.htm
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