Cerebral palsy(CP) is a brain disorder thatcauses impaired movement.
Cognitive and sensory problems, as well as epilepsy, also may be present.
Cerebral palsy can occur when part of the fetal brainfails to developproperly.
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An injury to the brain before, during, or after birth can also cause CP.
Cerebral palsy is also non-progressive.
Although time might cause the symptoms to worsen, the injury to the brain wont get any worse.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
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Who Is at Risk?
The risk of cerebral palsy goes up dramatically for very premature babies.
About 1 to 2 out of 1,000 babies born at full term will have CP.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Treatment
Although cerebral palsy cannot be cured, treatment can help symptoms to be less severe.
Speech therapy can help treat swallowing and communication problems, and counseling can help familiescope with the diagnosis.
Surgery also can correct some problems in the muscles.
If there is high suspicion for seizure activity, a workup is completed and epilepsy treatment initiated.
Prevention
Preventing preterm birth is the best way to prevent cerebral palsy.
Magnesium sulfate should not be used without supervision.
It is important to note that events right around the time of birth only rarely cause cerebral palsy.
Paneth N.Establishing the diagnosis of cerebral palsy.Clin Obstet Gynecol.
2009;200(6):595-609. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2009.04.005
National Institutes of Health.Cerebral Palsy Information Page.
