What Is CP?
Understanding Cerebral Palsy
Used with permission from MyChildWithouLimits.org
Written and reviewed by the My Child Without Limits Advisory Committee
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term used to describe a problem with movement and posture that makes certain activities difficult. Even though someone who has cerebral palsy has problems moving his or her muscles, this is not because there is something wrong with the muscles or nerves. These difficulties are caused because of problems in the brain. The patient might have had an injury to the brain, or had a brain that didn’t develop properly. These problems can affect the way the brain controls movement and posture. Simply stated, “Cerebral” refers to the brain, and “Palsy” refers to muscle weakness/poor control. Although the brain itself will not get worse, people who have cerebral palsy will usually change over time. Sometimes they will get better, and some patients will stay the same. Occasionally they will get worse, usually because of contracture of the joints or changes in the muscle tone;
There is currently no cure for cerebral palsy. but, there are different treatment options for people who have cerebral palsy. These options include therapy, medications, surgery, education and support. By takingadvantage of one or more of these options, people with cerebral palsy can learn to improve their function and the quality of their lives.
Who Does Cerebral Palsy Affect?
It is estimated that two out of every 1,000 newborn children will develop cerebral palsy. And approximately 40% of those born with cerebral palsy will have a severe case. Right now, about 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with the condition each year. In 2002, the number of cerebral palsy cases in 8-year-old children was found to be one in 278. It is the most common motor disorder in children and is second only to autism as the most common disability in children.
Most of the time the actual cause of cerebral palsy is not known. And, although there may have been a brain injury or a development problem, the problem may not be noticed for months.
What Puts A Child At Risk For Developing Cerebral Palsy?
There are many risk factors for cerebral palsy. They can include:
• Premature (early) birth
• Low birth weight
• Blood clotting problems
• Inability of the placenta to provide the developing fetus with oxygen and nutrients
• RH or A-B-O blood type incompatibility between mother and infant
• Infection of the mother with German measles or other viral diseases in early pregnancy
• Bacterial infection of the mother, fetus or infant that directly or indirectly attack the infant’s central
nervous system
• Prolonged loss of oxygen during the birthing process
• Severe jaundice shortly after birth
It is important to understand that even if a child does have a risk factor it does not mean that the child will
definitely get cerebral palsy. It just means that the chance of a child getting cerebral palsy is increased. Just
because a risk factor is there does not mean cerebral palsy WILL occur. Or, if a risk factor is not there, it
doesn’t mean that cerebral palsy will NOT occur. If a risk factor is present, it simply serves to alert parents
and physicians to be even more observant to the infant’s development.
How Is Cerebral Palsy Diagnosed?
Parents are often the first to notice that their infant is not developing normally. Infants with cerebral palsy are often slow to roll over, sit, crawl, or walk. When an infant develops more slowly than usual it is called developmental delay.
Some of the skills that infants should have include:
• Holding own head up when lying flat in a bed at 3 months
• Sitting and rolling over by 6 months
• Walking by 12-18 months
• Speaking simple sentences by 24 months
Most children with cerebral palsy are diagnosed by the time they are two years old. But if a child’s symptoms are mild, it can be hard for a doctor to make a true diagnosis before the child is four or five years old. If the doctor thinks a child has cerebral palsy, he or she will probably schedule an appointment to see the child and talk to the parents about their child’s physical and behavioral development.
Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by obtaining a complete medical history of development and examining the child, paying special attention to the child’s movements. In addition to checking for the most common symptoms — such as slow development, abnormal muscle tone, and unusual posture — a doctor also has to make sure the child doesn’t have something else that could cause similar symptoms.
Some children have hypotonia, which means that their muscles are too relaxed. In this case, the baby may seem floppy. Other children have hypertonia which makes their muscles seems stiff. Sometimes a child can have hypotonia that later become hypertonia two to 24 months after birth. Children may also have unusual posture or favor one side of their body.
What’s most important to the doctor is making sure that the child’s condition is not getting worse. Although cerebral palsy symptoms may change over time, children with cerebral palsy do not usually lose function. That means, if a child does seem to be losing motor skills, the problem is probably not cerebral palsy. It more likely a genetic or muscle disease, a metabolism disorder, or tumors in the nervous system. A complete medical history, special medical tests, and, in some cases, repeated check-ups can help confirm whether or not the child has cerebral palsy for certain.
Once the diagnosis of cerebral palsy has been made based on medical history and physical examination, your doctor may order tests to try to figure out the cause of the cerebral palsy (Ashwal et al., 2004). Tests (like MRI scans), that allow doctors to look into the brain, can find problems that may be able to be treated. If it is cerebral palsy, an MRI scan can also show a doctor the location and type of injury to the brain.
Some other tests a doctor might order include:
• Cranial ultrasound. This test is used for high-risk premature infants because it is the least intrusive
of the imaging techniques. However, it is not as effective as the two methods described below at
seeing small changes in “white matter” – which is the type of brain tissue that is effected in cerebral
palsy.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan. This technique creates images that shows brain injury.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. This test uses a computer, a magnetic field, and
radio waves to create a picture of the brain’s tissues and structures. Doctors prefer MRI imaging
because it offers better detail and does not involve radiation.
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