Cerebral Palsy, Its Causes and Symptoms

Cerebral palsy (CP) constitutes a group of severe neurological conditions caused by brain damage that affect children and impact their movement and motor skills, as well as their coordination. Other common symptoms include delays in the development of speech, tremors, difficulty swallowing and walking, seizures, blindness, and problems with muscles, for example, their extreme rigidity. The causes of theses conditions vary depending on the geographical location, for example, in the developing countries, the usual ones are “prenatal rubella, intranatal asphyxia, and postnatal hyperbilirubinemia” (Gulati & Sondhi, 2017, p. 1006). Nevertheless, all instances of cerebral palsy are linked to brain damage, common risk factors include low birthweight, premature or multiple birth, use of infertility treatment by the child’s parents, and infections. CP is often predetermined by genetics, yet, in some cases, it can be prevented by following simple steps, for example, receiving a vaccination, avoiding infections, and treating the existing medical conditions before pregnancy.