Introduction to Cerebral Palsy:
Cerebral palsy is a neurological, non progressive disorder that affects movement, speech, posture, and other basic functions. It is the most common crippling childhood disorder. "Cerebral" refers to the brain and "palsy" refers to the lack of muscle control. The brain starts to develop about half way through pregnancy and continues to develop until about the end of the third year of life. Damage to the brain during this period may result in cerebral palsy, usually resulting in poor control of the muscles of the limbs and trunk. The damage interferes with messages from the brain to the body, and will also interfere with messages from the body to the brain. There may also be interference with control of the muscles of the eyes and mouth, affecting sight and speech. In addition damage may affect a child's learning ability and may cause problems with behaviour. The extent of cerebral palsy can vary, for example, from a mild speech impairment or no obvious signs, to a severe lack of muscle coordination. It must be emphasized that damage to the brain is a one time event and does not continue. Damaged brain cells cannot be repaired, but undamaged brain cells will continue to develop and mature. Cerebral palsy is a permanent disability, but with ongoing professional treatment and therapy, a child's condition can improve.

What causes Cerebral Palsy?
It is often caused by cerebral hypoxia which is a lack of sufficient oxygen reaching the fetal or newborn brain around the time of birth. Oxygen supply can be interrupted by premature separation of the placenta from the wall of the uterus; an awkward birth position, prolonged labour or one that is too abrupt or interference with the umbilical cord. Other causes may be premature birth, RH or A-B-O blood type incompatibility between parents, infection of the mother with German Measles or other various diseases in early pregnancy, and viruses or bacteria which attack the newborn's central nervous system. Meningitis, encephalitis and a disturbance in the flow of blood or bleeding caused by direct damage, such as a head injury, can also result in cerebral palsy. Child abuse can, therefore, result in this disease. The greater the damage, the greater the abnormality.

Different types of Cerebral Palsy
1. Spastic Cerebral Palsy - This is the most common and mildest form of cerebral palsy. The person with spastic cerebral palsy has damage to the brain, which has to do with thought, movement, and sensation. The spastic individual has disordered control of movement, muscle weakness and often disturbance of growth and development. He or she moves slowly, stiffly and with difficulty. A child may have varying degrees of paralysis in paired limbs (paraplegia), one side of the body (hemiplegia), or all four extremities (quadriplegia).
2. Athetoid Cerebral Palsy - Between the brain and the spinal cord (which consists of many nerves that take messages from the brain to the muscles), there are several control centers called basal ganglia. They act like computers by modifying and channelling messages according to instructions from different parts of the brain. Athetosis results when the control centers are affected, and thus messages will no longer be properly programmed so that movement will no longer be properly coordinated. A child may have involuntary movement such as twisting, twitching or writhing, or abrupt, jerky movements that may increase with tension and disappear during sleep. This interference with coordinated movement sometimes involves the muscles of the mouth and tongue making speech difficult or impossible.
3. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy - This is the least common of cerebral palsy. A person with ataxic cerebral palsy has proper control of his or her muscles, but has a general unsteadiness of fine movements of the hands together with an awkward and unsteady walk, which in adults, is frequently mistaken for drunkenness. This is due to damage or slow development of the brains balance mechanism in the cerebellum, the lower part of the brain. There can also be awkwardness in coordination and problems with depth perception. Although some children have no basic impairments in the sensory organs, they do have difficulty organizing the information received through the senses and interpreting or making sense of the information.

Signs and Symptoms
1. Full or partial spastic paralysis or weakness in one or more limbs.
2. Tremor or other involuntary movements.
3. Vision, speech, or hearing disorders.
4. Convulsive seizures.
5. Occasionally, mental retardation.

The Diagnosis
It is difficult to diagnose cerebral palsy in early infancy, although some babies exhibit symptoms after age six months. Their symptoms can include a tendency to tuck their arms into their sides, to cross their legs in a scissor - like fashion, or to point their feet downward from the ankle. Once the symptoms develop, laboratory tests may be required to exclude other disorders. If a child shows signs of mental retardation, blood tests may be needed to check for abnormalities in amino acid levels and other biochemical abnormalities.

Treatments
Although cerebral palsy is incurable, much can be done to help children affected by it. Abilities need to be recognized and developed to the fullest, as much stimulation as possible should be offered, and loving patience should be shown. Physical therapists use exercise and relaxation techniques to teach children how to walk with the aid of braces, crutches and other devices, or how to transfer from a wheelchair to a bed or chair. Occupational therapists help a child to develop useful skills such as typing or mastery of special devices to perform routine tasks. Speech therapists teach communication skills including sign language for children who are unable to speak. Seizures can often be controlled with anticonvulsant medications. An electroencephalogram will help in detecting abnormal areas of activity in the brain that can cause seizures. Orthopedic treatment may include braces, splints, and casts to prevent contractures and other deformities of the arms and legs. Some children need orthopedic surgery to cut contracted muscles and tendons, thus allowing them to stretch, or to fuse together certain bones to stabilize joints. Such surgery can enable a child to walk or to maintain balance better. Every attempt is made to place children with mild cerebral palsy in regular public schools, but those who are severely affected need the special help and facilities that are available at schools for the physically and / or mentally disabled.

Conclusion
Seeing what my friend went through with cerebral palsy, I chose to do my project on this particular disease. I now have a better knowledge and understanding of what cerebral palsy is all about. With special treatment, and long term care, he has grown up to lead a relatively independent life. Therefore, as one can see, cerebral palsy is not a life threatening disease.