Cerebral palsy is an
umbrella-like term used to describe a group of chronic disorders
impairing control of movement that appear in the first few years of
life and generally do not worsen over time.
The term cerebral refers
to the brain's two halves, or hemispheres, and palsy describes any
disorder that impairs control of body movement. Thus, these disorders
are not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty
development or damage to motor areas in the brain disrupts the brain's
ability to adequately control movement and posture.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy lie along a spectrum of varying
severity. An individual with cerebral palsy may have difficulty with
fine motor tasks, such as writing or cutting with scissors; experience
trouble with maintaining balance and walking; or be affected by
involuntary movements, such as uncontrollable writhing motion of the
hands or drooling.
The symptoms differ from one person to the next, and may even change
over time in the individual. Some people with cerebral palsy are also
affected by other medical disorders, including seizures or mental
impairment.
Contrary to common belief, however, cerebral palsy does not always
cause profound handicap. While a child with severe cerebral palsy
might be unable to walk and need extensive, lifelong care, a child
with mild cerebral palsy might only be slightly awkward and require no
special assistance.
Cerebral palsy is not contagious nor is it usually inherited from one
generation to the next. At this time, it cannot be cured, although
scientific research continues to yield improved treatments and methods
of prevention.
How Many
People Have This Disorder?
The United Cerebral Palsy Associations estimate that more than 500,000
Americans have cerebral palsy. Despite advances in preventing and
treating certain causes of cerebral palsy, the number of children and
adults it affects has remained essentially unchanged or perhaps risen
slightly over the past 30 years.
This is partly because more critically premature and frail infants are
surviving through improved intensive care. Unfortunately, many of
these infants have developmental problems of the nervous system or
suffer neurological damage. Research is under way to improve care for
these infants, as in ongoing studies of technology to alleviate
troubled breathing and trials of drugs to prevent bleeding in the
brain before or soon after birth.
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