Cerebral palsy is "catch-all" term used to describe a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement, usually caused by injury or damage to the brain. Damage or injury may have been caused because of lack of oxygen to a fetus before birth, or just after birth, such as in breech deliveries for example. Cerebral palsy is static, which means that the injury or damage will never worsen, although it may seem so, but this may be due to the impairments becoming more apparent as a child develops. The term cerebral refers to the brain's two halves, or hemispheres, and palsy means any disorder that hinders control of body movement. These disorders are caused by damage or injury to the brain, not to the muscles or nerves.
People with cerebral palsy may have trouble with balance, have involuntary body movements, and have problems with fine motor skills. Other disorders seen with cerebral palsy are seizures and mental retardation, although having cerebral palsy does not automatically mean mental retardation. Some people with cerebral palsy are able to walk, while others are confined to wheelchairs. CP is not usually inherited or passed on to future children, nor is it contagious. At this time, cerebral palsy is not curable, although a controversial treatment to try and improve symptoms of cerebral palsy is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, where individuals with cerebral palsy use hyperbaric chambers and special oxygen hoods to "force" oxygen into the blood. Click on the link to find out more about this treatment.
For more information on the types of cerebral palsy and current research and treatments, click HERE.

United Cerebral Palsy Association	National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke