Cerebral palsy is a "group of disorders impairing body movement and muscle coordination as a result of an interference in messages between the brain and the body" (Hutchinson 2014). This interference could have been caused by damage to the baby's brain during pregnancy or before the age of three. People with cerebral palsy often have additional disabilities as well, most commonly intellectual disabilities. This condition causes different effects, such as:
- muscle tightness or spasm
- involuntary movement
- difficulty with fine-motor and gross-motor skills
- abnormal perception and sensation (Hutchinson 2014).
Furthermore, people with cerebral palsy are prone to having seizures, hearing loss, or loss of vision. Cerebral palsy is often classified by how many limbs are affected:
- muscle tightness or spasm
- involuntary movement
- difficulty with fine-motor and gross-motor skills
- abnormal perception and sensation (Hutchinson 2014).
Furthermore, people with cerebral palsy are prone to having seizures, hearing loss, or loss of vision. Cerebral palsy is often classified by how many limbs are affected:
Cerebral palsy is difficult to diagnose during early infancy. Typically, as the baby grows, parents will begin to notice delays in their movements (gross-motor skills), lack of coordination and muscle spasticity become apparent. An MRI is done to try and determine the cause.