In some circumstances, but not all, cerebral palsy can be a result of a brain injury sustained during birth. Below we have outlined some of the key questions surrounding Cerebral Palsy.

The Mayo Clinic describes Cerebral Palsy as ‘a disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture that is caused by damage that occurs to the immature, developing brain, most often before birth. Signs and symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years’.

The three main types of Cerebral Palsy are as follows:

1. Spastic – meaning stiff muscle
2. Dyskinetic or athetoid – meaning an uncontrolled muscle contraction of the limbs
3. Ataxic – meaning uncoordinated limb movements

It is possible to be diagnosed with a mixture of these types, however, Spastic Cerebral Palsy represents the most common physical disability in childhood.

What causes Cerebral Palsy?

There are known to be different causes of Cerebral Palsy including:

• Genetic susceptibility
• Infection
• Inflammation
• Metabolic
• Physical injury
• Lack of oxygen around the time of birth

Some of these causes can be due to substandard treatment and clinical negligence.