A general term describing a group of chronic non-progressive neurological symptoms which cause impaired control of movement and which are evident in the first few years of life.
CP is caused by damage or faulty development of the motor areas in the brain, disrupting the ability to control movement and posture. CP is usually thought of as congenital or perinatal, however, it can also be acquired after birth, from: head injury, jaundice and rubella (German measles).
Cerebral palsy is classified by the type of problem with bodily movement (such as spastic or even athetoid cerebral palsy) or by the affected body parts (hemiplegia – one side of the body, diplegia – both sides of the body symmetrically and quadriplegia – all four limbs).