Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that occurs as a result of damage to a child's CNS involved in motor control. The lesion that occurs is non-progressive i.e., it does not get worse.

Causes

Antenatal:

• Maternal infections
• Trauma during pregnancy

Perinatal:

• Birth asphyxia
• Pre-term birth

Postnatal:

• Meningitis
• Severe neonatal jaundice
• Head injury

NOTE - Children at risk of developing cerebral palsy, such as those with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, need to be followed up to identify any signs and symptoms that develop.

Type of Cerebral Palsy

• Spastic: hypertonia (increased tone) and reduced function resulting from damage to upper motor neurones
  • Can be monoplegic, hemiplegic, diplegic, quadriplegic
• Dyskinetic (athetoid): problems controlling muscle tone, with hypertonia and hypotonia, causing athetoid movements and oro-motor problems. This is the result of damage to the basal ganglia.
• Ataxic: problems with coordinated movement resulting from damage to the cerebellum