Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic conditions affecting body movements and muscle co-ordination. It is caused by one or more specific areas of the brain, usually occurring during fetal development or during infancy. It can also occur before, during or shortly following the birth. The term cerebral refers to the halves of the brain and palsy refers to a disorder that affects your body movement. If a person has cerebral palsy means that some part of his brain is not functioning either to some extent or totally. The muscles and bones of the person affected by cerebral palsy become weak as there is a lack of communication between his brain and muscles of his body. Cerebral palsy is neither progressive nor communicative. It is also not curable.

Life expectancy in CP: -

The survival prospects of children with CP are frequently under estimated. For example physicians often give a life expectancy of 10 additional years or even less. Studies reveal that survival prospect of for those surviving the critical first few years is more important. A child who is unable to roll or sit can live a life for about 20 years even if it is CP affected. A child who is just able to lift his head when lying on stomach can live for about 23 years whereas the child who sits on a wheel chair, but does not assist in moving it will live for 38 to 40 years. The severity of disorder affects the life expectancy, but many children with severe disabilities live well into adulthood. A person, who is severely mentally retarded, is immobile, and not toilet trained is expected to live for only 4 to 5 years more, than his current age. Studies reveal that mobility or immobility is the best point to predict the mortality risk. If other people could feed a person with immobility, then the life expectancy of that person would be doubled. If some mobility was also present, then life expectancy would be doubled again. Another reason for a short life expectancy for a CP affected person is circulatory system or heart disease.

Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive disease and does not grow with respect to time. It is not curable either. But its effect can be minimized by a proper guidance by the experts and help the patient live a better and productive life.