Introduction
Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of conditions that cause problems with movement and balance. Cerebral palsy is a permanent condition and is the most common cause of physical disability in children.
Children with cerebral palsy may need support throughout their life with:
- talking
- eating
- going to the toilet
- seeing
- hearing
- learning.
Signs and symptoms
Movement
Children with cerebral palsy have trouble sending messages from their brains to their muscles. This means they can have trouble moving properly. Every child with cerebral palsy is different. Some children can have a mix of the movement issues listed below.
Spasticity
Spasticity is stiffness in the muscles that can make movement difficult.
Dyskinesia
Dyskinesia is uncontrolled or involuntary movements. A common type of dyskinesia is dystonia.
Dystonia is when a child has movements that are:
- slow and twisting
- repetitive
- stuck in abnormal positions for long periods.
Other types of dyskinesia are:
- chorea - sudden jerky movements
- athetosis - slow writhing movements.
Ataxia
Ataxia is unsteady shaky movements or tremors.
Parts of the body affected
Hemiplegic cerebral palsy - one side of the body is affected.
Diplegic cerebral palsy - both sides of the body are affected.
Quadriplegic cerebral palsy - both arms and legs are affected.
Functioning
The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels are most used to describe how mobile a child is and how their mobility affects their functioning.
Everyday activities are rated according to the child’s level of ability, on a scale of 1 to 5.
Each level is decided by how independent a child is and how much support they need to do the activity.
Level 1: Walks independently without limitations.
Level 2: Walks independently in most settings. Needs a rail for stairs.
Level 3: Walks with a walking frame indoors and uses a wheelchair in the community.
Level 4: Needs physical help or a powered wheelchair for mobility.
Level 5: Needs a manual wheelchair for transportation by carers.
Diagnosis
Cerebral palsy can be difficult to diagnose. Your child’s doctor will need to make sure there are no other conditions that are causing issues with movement.
Your child’s doctor will be able to make a diagnosis of cerebral palsy based on:
- any physical signs of issues with muscles and movement
- any delays your child might have with developing movement like sitting, rolling or crawling
- CT and MRI scans to check the brain.
Treatment
Currently, there is no known cure for cerebral palsy.
Treatment and management of cerebral palsy focuses on:
- checking for and treating any other physical or developmental problems
- supporting your child’s learning and development
- supporting your child to be an active member of the community
- supporting your child to build their capacity to live an independent life.
Every person with cerebral palsy is unique, just like everyone else. The level of support needed will be different for every child and may change throughout their life.
Management
Causes of cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy can be caused by problems with brain development during pregnancy and damage to the brain. Damage to the brain that causes cerebral palsy can happen during pregnancy, at birth, or in the first few years of life.
Some babies are more at risk of developing cerebral palsy. Risks include:
- being born prematurely or with a small birth weight
- having a serious infection
- having another condition or difference at birth
- not having enough oxygen during or after birth
- having severe jaundice.
Support for learning and development
Children with cerebral palsy can get good support for learning and development through early intervention services and the NDIS.
The type of services and funding you can access will depend on the type of support your child needs, and how old they are.
Speak to your child’s treatment team for more information about early intervention and the NDIS.
Resources and more information
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Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Their website provides links to support, resources and volunteering opportunities.
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National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
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Australian Cerebral Palsy Register
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Cerebral Palsy Australia
