Cerebral Palsy Reference and Resources: Associated Conditions

Cerebral palsy is a collection of motor disorders or dysfunctions that occur as a result of damage to the brain before or during birth. It is not a progressive disorder. It is static, meaning that the condition will not get worse over time. A child with cerebral palsy may have poor coordination, irregular or abnormal movement patterns, difficulty with balance, very tense muscles, or muscles that have very little tone and make the child floppy, or a combination of these motor disorders. Different parts of the body can be affected in different ways, and each individual with cerebral palsy will have a unique combination in type of dysfunction and level of severity.

The forms of cerebral palsy are generally classified as spastic, athetoid, ataxic, or a mixture of these. While it is a condition that affects movement, posture, and coordination, there can be associated conditions that are more likely to occur in children who have cerebral palsy.

Most of the complications of cerebral palsy are neurological. The part of the brain affected controls muscles that in turn move bones. Children with cerebral palsy often have orthopedic problems as well.

Every child is different and may or may not have any of the complications noted here.

From 35 percent to 50 percent of children with cerebral palsy develop epilepsy or seizure disorder.
Many children with cerebral palsy will have some form of mental retardation. Children with the most severe forms of motor dysfunction are most likely to experience mental retardation.
Children with cerebral palsy may have difficulty with a sleeping disorder.
Cerebral palsy can affect children’s speech, chewing, and swallowing because of difficulty in coordinating the muscles involved. The inability to swallow can also lead to poor nutrition and poor growth, sometimes referred to as failure to thrive.
Learning disabilities can hamper an individual with cerebral palsy. Patients can have difficulty processing information about shapes, speed, and space. This problem is often referred to as a visual or spatial perception difficulty. Others may have other types of impairments that can lead to difficulties with specific activities, such as reading, drawing, or mathematics.

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