Pediatric / Cerebral Palsy / Definition

Cerebral palsy. Definition

CP is defined as a persistent disorder of movement and posture caused by nonprogressive defects or lesions of the immature brain.

It is a general term that describes a group of disorders that appear in the first three years of life and affect a child's ability to coordinate body movements. These disorders are caused by damage to a child's brain early in the course of development. The damage can occur during fetal development, during the birth process or during the first few months after birth.

Generally, it refers to motor or postural abnormalities that are noted during early development. These anomalies are thought to be associated with prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal events of varying etiologies (often multifactorial in nature).

This group of disorders ranges from mild to severe. Physical signs of cerebral palsy include weakness and floppiness of muscles or spasticity and rigidity. In some cases, neurological disorders — such as mental retardation or seizures also occur in children with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy isn't curable. However, getting the right therapy for the child can make a big difference. Today, children with cerebral palsy benefit from a wide range of treatment options and innovations, including physical therapy, speech therapy, medications, educational programs and computerized aids.