What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy is not a disease or an illness. It is a disability caused by damage to the brain that can take place before, during, or in the early days after birth. There are many causes of cerebral palsy which include an infection while still in the womb, such as the pregnant mother contracting German measles, a difficult birth, a genetic disorder, a bleed in the baby's brain, or the baby's brain forms abnormally for no apparent reason.

Research has not yet produced a full or adequate account of the causes of the condition, which is regarded as a disturbance of the central nervous system due to injury to the brain at some time. Damage to the brain may not only affect the child physically, but may result in visual, perceptual, auditory and learning disabilities. Some children may also have seizures (epilepsy).

The physical disability may affect the child's interaction with and exploration of the world about him. It can also affect the child's ability to
learn and develop intellectually, although this can often be minimised if the appropriate management is given.