Outlining a cerebral palsy definition is a difficult task because the term is an expansive expression that describes several different chronic disorders, which affect the body's ability to move and coordinate its posture. The name was formed from cerebral, meaning "of the brain", and palsy, meaning "a disorder of movement and/or posture". The condition is caused by damage or injury to certain areas of the brain, typically during foetal development or in early infancy. It is thought cerebral palsy may also occur before, during or immediately after birth. A complete cerebral palsy definition cannot be made without mentioning the characteristics of the different types of this condition which are referable to the area of the brain that is damaged and the extent of that damage.
In its most simple terms a cerebral palsy definition refers to the meaning of the two words that comprise the term. When someone is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it means there has been some sort of injury to the brain (cerebral) and they are no longer able to use or control certain muscles of the body in the proper way (palsy). Children affected with the condition may have difficulty or an inability to walk, talk, play normally or, even, eat in a manner similar to other children.
It is important to realise that a cerebral palsy definition will never refer to the condition as a disease because it is not communicable or progressive and it is generally not considered curable. That being said, specific types of therapy, technological advances and specialized education can assist individuals with cerebral palsy to the extent they can live a productive life.
On a more technical basis a cerebral palsy definition may include reference to a lack of ability to completely control different motor functions; more specifically, coordination and muscle control. Depending on which portion of the brain is injured or damaged, individuals with the condition will experience one or more of these symptoms:
These symptoms are broken down further into more precise categories as follows:-
Characterized by stiff and awkward movements, generally concentrated on one side of the body.
Characterized by an improper depth perception and sense of balance, tremours and an inability to use fine motor skills.
Characterized by mixed muscle tone, leading to uncontrollable and/or involuntary movements.
Characterized by very limited mobility, limpness or a complete inability to move.
Any combination of the above mentioned forms of cerebral palsy that is present in one individual.
Due to the fact that cerebral palsy usually shows up quite early in children, it is considered a form of developmental disability. Recent studies have shown this condition affects more children than other types of developmental disabilities, such as epilepsy, autism or Down's syndrome. It is estimated that almost two out of every 1,000 children born have some degree of cerebral palsy. Systems for monitoring the numbers of cerebral palsy cases are either non-existent or difficult to track; therefore, there is no definitive method to determine if the overall numbers are declining, increasing or remaining constant.
Advances in prenatal treatment, such as the use of foetal heart rate monitors during labour and delivery, have not lowered the chances of cerebral palsy developing. This is mainly due to errors during the birthing process by nurses, doctors and other medical attendants.
Cerebral palsy is generally considered to be a disability that will last throughout a person’s entire life; even though some children who have been diagnosed with very mild cerebral palsy may recover to varying degrees by the time they are four or five years old. The majority of cases, however, will continue to affect movement, muscle tone and coordination of the individual, possibly affecting the child's learning ability and physical capabilities throughout his or her life.
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