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The disorder is marked by several important signs. All persons with cerebral palsy developed it while the brain was under development. This limits the age at which the disorder can develop to at most 5 years old, however 80% of all cases occur before the baby reaches 1 month old. Secondly, it is a nonprogressive disorder, that is, once the damage to the brain is done no additional damage occurs. Cerebral palsy never worsens, though its symptoms may change with time. The disorder also never improves. It is a permanent disability which stays with a person their entire life. Any temporary problems would suggest a disorder other than cerebral palsy, which is why a reliable diagnosis of it can't occur until the child is four or five years old. Additionally, the disorder is characterized by disruption of the motor skills of the person. The severity in the loss of motor skills varies greatly from case to case. Lastly, even though there is a loss of motor skills, the muscles themselves are not defective. The problem lies solely in the brain's ability to control those otherwise healthy muscles.
Cerebral palsy, then known as "Cerebral Paralysis", was first identified by a British surgeon named William Little in 1860. Little raised the possibility of asphyxia during birth as a chief cause of the disorder. It was not until 1897 that Sigmund Freud suggested that a difficult birth was not the cause but rather only a symptom of other effects on fetal development. Modern research has shown that asphyxia is not found during birth in at least 75% of cases. Such research also shows that Freud's view was correct, even though during the late 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended and most of the 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre Little's view was the traditional explanation. ("Conditions", 9)
Since cerebral palsy refers to a group of disorders, there is no exact known cause. Some major causes are asphyxia or hypoxiaHypoxia has several meanings: Hypoxia is the lack of oxygen in tissues, see Hypoxia (medical) Hypoxia is the lack of oxygen in a water body leading to the death of organisms, see Hypoxia (water). of brain, birth trauma or premature birthPremature birth is defined medically as a birth occurring earlier than 37 weeks. Most pregnancies last about 40 weeks. About 10% of babies come sooner. A baby born within 37-42 weeks is considered full term. Prematurely born babies are sometimes called pr, geneticGenetics is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. Humans began applying knowledge of genetics in prehistory with the domestication and breeding of plants and animals. In modern research, genetics provides important tools in the i susceptibility, certain drugs or infectionInfection" is also the title of an episode of the television series Babylon 5; see Infection (Babylon 5). An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. The colonizing organism interferes with the normal functionings in the mother during and before birth, central nervous system infections, traumaIn medicine, a trauma patient has suffered serious and life-threatening physical injury resulting in secondary complications such as shock, respiratory failure and death. Trauma patients require specialized care including surgery and often blood transfusi, and consecutive hematomaA hematoma or haematoma is a collection of blood, generally the result of hemorrhage. Hematomas exist as bruises ( ecchymoses), but can also develop in organs. Types subdural hematoma subarachnoid hematoma epidural hematoma perichondral hematoma (cauliflos. After birth, the condition may be caused by toxins, physical brain injury, incidents involving hypoxia to the brain (such as drowning), and encephalitis or meningitis. Despite all of these causes, the cause of many individual cases of cerebral palsy is unknown.
Recent research has demonstrated that asphyxia is not the most important cause as it was once considered to be, though it still plays a role, probably accounting for about 10% of all cases. The research has shown that infections in the mother, even infections that are not easily detected, may triple the risk of the child developing the disorder.
Premature babies have a higher risk because their organs are not yet fully developed. This increases the risk of asphyxia and other injury to the brain, which in turn increases the incidence of cerebral palsy.