Caption

Cerebral palsy patient doing exercises. 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy doing daily exercises with his father. Cerebral palsy is a developmental abnormality of the brain that results in weakness and lack of coordination of the limbs. The brain damage occurs before, during, or shortly after birth and may be caused by injury, haemorrhage, lack of oxygen, meningitis, viral infection or faulty development. The most common disability is a spastic paralysis which may cause fixed deformities of the limbs. Defective sight and hearing, lack of balance, involuntary writhing movements and epilepsy are common, and intelligence is often impaired.