Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy, which is also known as Little's disease or static encephalopathy, is a group of disorders that is marked by various levels of brain damage. These disorders are typically related to an individual's ability to control motor function. Cerebral palsy is divided into four types, or four main categories: spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type, comprising approximately one-half of all cerebral palsy cases. This type of cerebral palsy causes the muscles to maintain a constant state of involuntary reflex.
Cerebral palsy can occur during pregnancy, during the birthing process, or after the birth occurs. It can be caused during pregnancy by drugs or by infections. It has also been traced to high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, and diabetes. Additionally, complications during pregnancy may cause cerebral palsy. Typically, cerebral palsy is a congenital malformation in the brain. Doctors are not always able to detect it during pregnancy. Proper prenatal care can help prevent congenital problems, although cerebral palsy often occurs even when a mother follows her physician's advice. Cerebral palsy can occur during childbirth. Most child births involve at least one complication. When the physician makes an incorrect choice to remedy the complication, the outcome may be the development of cerebral palsy.
