“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

 What is it? › Population › Prevalence & Course › Diagnostic Criteria › Differential Diagnostic  Intervention › Treatment  Information and Advocacy  Works cited

 Group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and to maintain balance and posture  Wide variety of signs and symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.  Cerebral palsy is classified into four broad categories: Spastic, Athetoid (or dyskinetic), Ataxic, and Mixed. › Spastic cerebral palsy affects 70 to 80 percent of patients and is characterized by stiff or permanently contracted muscles › Athetoid cerebral palsy affects 10 to 20 percent of patients and is characterized by uncontrolled, slow, writhing movements › Ataxic cerebral palsy is a rare form that affects 5 to 10 percent of patients. This form of cerebral palsy affects the sense of depth and perception and results in poor coordination and difficulty with quick or precise movements. › Mixed cerebral palsy occurs when a patient has symptoms of two or more of these forms. Many combinations are possible, but the most common mixed form is a blend of the spastic and athetoid forms. Cerebral Palsy Source

 Caused by injuries or abnormalities of the brain.  Most of these problems occur as the baby grows in the womb,  Can happen at any time during the first 2 years of life, while the baby's brain is still developing. (Medline)

 The United Cerebral Palsy Associations estimate that more than 500,000 Americans have Cerebral Palsy.  In the United States,10 to 20 percent of the children acquire the disorder after birth (Cerebral Palsy Source)  The U.S. exceeds 750,000.  Currently there are more than 160,000 children with cerebral palsy  More than 10,000 new cases occur each year. (Cerebral Palsy Magazine)

 Most of these problems occur as the baby grows in the womb  They can happen at any time during the first 2 years of life, while the baby's brain is still developing.  About 2-3 children per 1,000 have cerebral palsy  Severe cerebral palsy might be unable to walk and need extensive, lifelong care

 Cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder  Does not affect expected length of life (Medline)  Many adults are able to live in the community, either independently or with different levels of help.  Severe cerebral palsy might be unable to walk and need extensive, lifelong care  Mild cerebral palsy might be only slightly awkward and require no special assistance. (NINDS)

 Test an infant’s motor skills  Look carefully at the infant’s medical history  Check for slow development, abnormal muscle tone, and unusual posture  Medical tests  MRIs, CTs, and ultrasounds to look at pictures of the infant’s brain › Reflex Test › Hand Preference Test (4mychild)

 Linked to a variety of infectious diseases  Congenital abnormalities  Strokes  Severe jaundice › Common in newborns, severe cases of untreated jaundice can harm the brain permanently and may result in cerebral palsy. Mayo Clinic

 Cerebral palsy can’t be cured  Treatment will often improve a child's capabilities.  Treatment may include › Physical and occupational therapy › Speech therapy › Drugs to control seizures › Relax muscle spasms › Alleviate pain  Surgery to correct anatomical abnormalities or release tight muscles; › braces and other orthotic devices; wheelchairs and rolling walkers; and communication aids such as computers with attached voice synthesizers. NINDS

 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke › sy/cerebral_palsy.htm sy/cerebral_palsy.htm  Cerebral Palsy Source › /index.html /index.html  United Cerebral Palsy ›

 4MyChild Help and Hope for Life › cerebral-palsy/diagnosis/ cerebral-palsy/diagnosis/ › MyChild ( )  Cerebral Palsy Family Support Network ›

 Cerebral Palsy Magazine  Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology  American Journal Of Epidemiology

 Brody, J. (2005). Cerebral palsy source. Retrieved from  Hoch, D. (2009, September 16). Cerebral palsy. Retrieved from  Koscielny, I. (2009, September). Cerebral palsy magazine. Retrieved from  (2009, November 14). Cerebral palsy. Retrieved from  (2009, October 30). Ninds cerebral palsy information page. Retrieved from What_is_the_prognosis  (2009, November 1). 4mychild help and hope for life. Retrieved from