The Facts

 Cerebral Palsy - The Facts 

• Cerebral palsy is an 'umbrella' description for a group of non-progressive disorders of movement and posture caused by damage to the developing brain.
• These disorders become manifest early in life and are a permanent and nonprogressive condition.
• Cerebral palsy is not a disease and it is not contagious.
• Cerebral palsy is not hereditary or passed from one generation to the next.
• Most children with cerebral palsy are healthy and can expect a normal life span.
• The aetiology of a large number of cases of cerebral palsy is unable to be determined - RCH (2005) Third Report of the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register. 
• Prenatal events are now thought to be responsible for approximately 75% of cases of cerebral palsy - RCH (2005) Third Report of the Victorian Cerebral Palsy Register. 
• The risk of cerebral palsy rises as birth weight falls.
• Associated disabilities such as epilepsy, intellectual, visual or auditory impairment may also be present with cerebral palsy.
• The first medical reference to cerebral palsy was by English surgeon W J Little in 1862.
• Of every 1000 live births in Victoria, at least 2 children will be diagnosed as having cerebral palsy before the age of 5 years.
• In Australia over 34,000 people have cerebral palsy.
• Cerebral palsy is the most common form of childhood disability, affecting about 34,000 Australians.
• The current annual financial cost of cerebral palsy is about $43,000 per person, with the cost to the individual estimated at 36.7% of the total – or $306 per week (2007).
• Most people with CP are healthy and have the capacity to participate in meaningful studies, hobbies and employment.
• Cerebral palsy doesn't actually get worse over time - it's just that the symptoms may change, or it may become more noticeable.
• People sometimes think that those with cerebral palsy can't understand them. This isn't true - people with cerebral palsy may have trouble moving or communicating but they're still intelligent and aware. 
• In Australia, around 600 to 700 infants are born with CP each year.  
• In Australia, it is estimated that a child is born every 18 hours that has or will develop CP (that is one in every 400 babies).  

More on Cerebral Palsy

• What is Cerebral Palsy? Why does it happen?
• Types of Cerebral Palsy (CP)
• How does Cerebral Palsy affect the body?  
• Childhood Signs and Associated Difficulties