Types and Cause of Cerebral Palsy

Types of Cerebral Palsy
Several cerebral palsy classification systems exist today to define the type and form of cerebral palsy an individual has. The classification is complicated by the wide range of clinical presentations and degrees of activity limitation that exist. Knowing the severity, location and type of cerebral palsy your child has will help to coordinate care and fund treatment.
Mild - Mild cerebral palsy means a child can move without assistance; his or her daily activities are not limited.
Moderate – Moderate cerebral palsy means a child will need braces, medications, and adaptive technology to accomplish daily activities.
Severe – Severe cerebral palsy means a child will require a wheelchair and will have significant challenges in accomplishing daily activities.
No CP – No CP means the child has cerebral palsy signs, but the impairment was acquired after completion of brain development and is therefore classified under the incident that caused the cerebral palsy, such as traumatic brain injury or encephalopathy.
Cause of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is caused by brain injury or brain malformation that occurs before, during, or immediately after birth while the infant’s brain is under development. But how a brain injury affects a child’s motor functioning and intellectual abilities is highly dependent on the nature of a brain injury, where the damage occurs, and how severe it is.
What is brain injury, birth injury and brain malformation?
The cause of cerebral palsy is a brain injury or brain malformation that occurs while the brain is developing — before, during, or after birth. As a result of the brain damage during brain development a child’s muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance can be affected. It can also impact a child’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and oral motor functioning.
Every case of cerebral palsy is unique to the individual. This is due in part by the type of injury, extent of injury, and the timing of injury to the developing brain. The brain damage that causes cerebral palsy is a result of either:
Prenatal disturbance of brain cell migration - genetic and environmental factors disturb brain cell migration as cells move to their appropriate location during brain development.
Prenatal poor myelination (insulation) of developing nerve cell fibers – brain function is impeded when poor myelin provides an inadequate protective covering over nerve cells that aid in the transmission.
Perinatal brain cell death – events in the birthing process that rupture blood vessels or starve oxygen to the brain.

Postnatal non-functional or inappropriate connections (synapses) between brain cells – trauma, infections, and asphyxia that damage connections developed in the brain.