Cerebral Palsy
 

    Cerebral Palsy (CP) affects many people all over the world.  700,000 adults and children have the condition in America.     People do not know enough about CP and when they meet someone who has it, they do not know how to act.  On this page, you will find facts about CP, how to act around someone with CP and links to other CP resources.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

    Cerebral palsy is a physical disability.  CP occurs by an injury to the brain during, before or after birth.   "Cerebral" refers to the brain and "palsy" to the lack of motor control. In some cases, there may be seizure, mental retardation, and impairment of sight, hearing or speech. The degree of involvement varies.

    Cerebral Palsy is not progressive, communicable, inherited or a primary cause of death. Nor is it "curable" in the accepted sense, although an individual with cerebral palsy often responds to training and therapies. It is not a disease and should never be referred to as such.  It is a condition.

What causes Cerebral Palsy?

       Cerebral Palsy is caused by damage to the brain.   This damage can be caused by

"RH Incompatibility": A blood conflict between mother and unborn baby may occur if a certain element -RH factor- is missing in the mother's blood and is present in the father.

  1. Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome - This rare genetic defect causes one type of cerebral palsy.
  2. Mother's Illness - Certain  diseases (such as German Measles) in the mother can seriously affect the unborn baby.
  3. Severe Lack of Oxygen - If a baby doesn't get oxygen for a long time (for example, due to complications in labor), cerebral palsy may result.

Symptoms of CP

   CP affects people very differently.  The symptoms depends on where and how much damage was done to the brain.  There are rarely two people who have the same CP. 

Some signs can be:

  • Poor muscle control
  • Hearing  and vision impairments
  • Speech impairment
  • Seizures
  • Minority of people with CP have Mental Retardation
  • Lack of balance

What to do when meeting someone with CP

  People often do not know how to react when meeting someone with CP.  They either stare, look away, feel uneasy or giggle because they do not understand.  The person with CP understands their uneasiness, but they are human too.  Just because someone is sitting in a wheelchair or has some poor muscle control, does not mean to treat them any differently.

  • Talk in a normal tone and manner - just because someone has CP does not mean they are deaf or stupid.
  • Talk directly to the person - If the person is with someone, do not ask the other person questions.  Disabled people can  speak for themselves.
  • Do not pat them on their heads - they arenot cute pets or toys
  • Let your child ask questions to the person
  • You can ask questions.
  • Never assume that they are stupid or mentally retarded - this is degrading-  Some of the smartest people have disabilities

 

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