Cerebral palsy (CP) is the broad heterogeneous term used for a group of permanent, nonprogressive movement disorders that cause varying degrees of physical disability that typically involve body movement variations. Individuals with cerebral palsy also may experience variations in sensations, communication deficits, difficulties with depth perception, cognitive alterations, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and seizure disorders. There are subtypes of CP that are characterized by the type of impairment. The different types include spastic, ataxic, athetoid/dyskinetic, and mixed. The majority of individuals have spastic CP. Cerebral palsy is the most commonly occurring motor disability in childhood.

CP is caused by a variety of factors, including infection in pregnancy, hypoxia during birth, severe neonatal jaundice, Rh incompatibility, or genetic factors. CP is more common in male infants and ...