What is Cerebral Palsy?

About 3,000 babies are born each year in the US with cerebral palsy and approximately 300,000 to 500,000 individuals are affected with cerebral palsy in the United States. Cerebral palsy is damage to the brain.

What is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral means the brain and palsy means there are issues with the way a person moves his/her body. In short, a child with cp will have problems controlling the muscles of the body. Depending on what part of the brain is affected, a child may have problems with one, two, three, or all four limbs, and may have issues with vision, hearing loss, spitting up, drooling, speech problems, behavior issues, communication, mental retardation, and may not be able to talk or eat.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy?The most common cause of cerebral palsy known is a lack of oxygen just before, during, or after birth.

It is very important to note that cerebral palsy is not progressive, life-threatening, hereditary, or contagious.