Cerebral palsy is a general term used to describe a group of neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and permanently affect muscle coordination and body movement. It is most often caused by brain injury or an abnormality in the brain resulting from infection or trauma sustained in the womb or during the early years of life. Each year 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. While prenatal care can reduce the risk that a child will develop some rare forms of cerebral palsy, the types of injuries that most often cause the disorder are usually not foreseeable or preventable. To learn more about cerebral palsy, visit the National Institutes of Health’s information page.
