Introduction

Cerebral Palsy represents a group of chronic disorders affecting the nerves that control the body�s muscles. The major disorder of cerebral palsy, however, is brain damage and appears in the first few years of life, but usually does not worsen over time. Generally, this damage is caused before/during or shortly after birth and can be due to a variety of reasons.

Though symptoms of cerebral palsy differ from person to person and may change over a period of time, a few symptoms recognized by physicians include having difficulty with fine motor tasks, such as writing or using scissors, experience inconvenience with maintaining balance and walking, or be affected by involuntary movements, such as uncontrollable writhing motion of the hands or drooling. Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical disorders, including seizures or mental impairment. As against common belief, however, cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap.

Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before 3 years of age. Children with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental signs such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile, or walk. Cerebral palsy is neither contagious nor it is usually inherited from one generation to the next.

Malformation of brain resulting cerebral palsy may be congenital or acquired after birth. Majority of the causes of cerebral palsy that have been identified through research such as head injury, jaundice, Rh incompatibility, and rubella (German measles) are preventable and or treatable.