What Causes Cerebral Palsy?

Keith W. Pillich is a safety professional. During Keith W. (Walter) Pillich’s leisure time, he volunteers to help people living with cerebral palsy in the Buffalo, New York, area.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder or group of disorders that affect a person’s mobility and ability to maintain balance. The word “cerebral” denotes that it involves the brain. “Palsy” refers to weakness or problems moving a muscle.

Unusual brain development or brain damage while a child is forming causes cerebral palsy. Since this happens before the child is born, prevention is not feasible. However, cerebral palsy can occur after birth. The cause of cerebral palsy after birth is not known, but possible causes include gene mutations, maternal infections, head injuries, brain infections, intracranial hemorrhage, and asphyxia neonatorum. Asphyxia neonatorum is a medical condition that occurs in babies if they do not get enough oxygen during their birth.

There are not many options for preventing cerebral palsy. But to make the illness bearable, patients can use assistive aids such as walking aids, hearing aids, and wheelchairs. Treatment methods include medications such as diazepam and baclofen, and doctors sometimes use orthopedic surgery and selective dorsal rhizotomy to treat cerebral palsy.