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How common is cerebral palsy?
CDC is tracking the number of children with cerebral palsy in a five-county area in metropolitan Atlanta (Georgia). This activity is part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Program (MADDSP). For 1991-1994, the CDC found that, on average, 28 of every 10,000 children 3 through 10 years of age had cerebral palsy.

CDC also studied how many children in metropolitan Atlanta had cerebral palsy in the mid-1980s. This project was done as part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Developmental Disabilities Study (MADDS), which studied how common certain disabilities were in 10-year-old children. We found that 23 of every 10,000 10-year-old children had cerebral palsy. Eighty-one percent of the children had spastic cerebral palsy. Seventy-five percent had one or more other disabilities (epilepsy, mental retardation, hearing loss, or vision impairment

In another study, CDC used data from the National Health Interview Survey - Child Health Supplement to find the number of children with cerebral palsy in the United States in 1988. The survey asked parents, or other adults, if children in the home had cerebral palsy. The study showed that 23 of every 10,000 children 17 years of age or younger had cerebral palsy

What causes cerebral palsy? Can it be prevented?
Cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage that affects a child's ability to control his or her muscles. The part of the brain that is damaged determines what parts of the body are affected. There are many possible causes of the brain damage. Some causes affect how the child's brain develops during the first 6 months of pregnancy. These causes include genetic conditions and problems with the blood supply to the brain. Other causes of cerebral palsy happen after the brain has developed. These causes can occur during later pregnancy, delivery, or the first years of the child's life. They include bacterial meningitis and other infections, bleeding in the brain, lack of oxygen, severe jaundice, and head injury.

Children who are born prematurely or who are very low birth weight (less than 1,500 grams or about 3 1/3 pounds) are more likely to have problems that might lead to cerebral palsy. However, children who are full term and normal birth weight can also have cerebral palsy.

CDC funds the North Atlantic Neuro-Epidemiology Alliance (NANEA) to study factors that might make it more likely a child will develop cerebral palsy. These factors include infection, bleeding, and raised temperature during pregnancy. The studies are being done in Denmark. CDC has studied the causes of cerebral palsy among 3- to 10-year-old children in MADDSP in 1991. For 10% of the children, the cause of their cerebral palsy had happened after they were 30 days old. The most common causes in these children were meningitis, child abuse, stroke, and car crashes
CDC also looked at the causes of cerebral palsy among 10-year-old children in MADDS in the mid 1980s. For 16% of the children, the cause of their cerebral palsy also had happened after they were 30 days old. The most common of these causes were infections, head injury, and stroke.

If you would like to learn more about a specific genetic condition that you think could cause cerebral palsy, you can go to the National Library of Medicine's Genetics Home Reference Web site. Information on each genetic condition includes symptoms, how common the condition is, related genes, treatments, and links to resources where you can learn more about the condition. The Genetics Home Reference Web site also can help you learn more about genetics, including about genetic testing, genetic counseling, and gene therapy.

Some causes of cerebral palsy can be prevented. For example, bike helmets and car seats can prevent head injuries that might result in cerebral palsy. Another cause that can be prevented is kernicterus, a kind of brain damage that happens when a newborn baby has too much jaundice. In some newborn babies, the liver makes too much yellow pigment, called bilirubin. If too much bilirubin builds up in a new baby's body, the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow. This yellow coloring is called jaundice. A little jaundice is not a problem. It is actually very common in newborn babies and usually goes away by itself. Some babies, however, have too much jaundice. If not treated, these high levels of bilirubin can damage a baby's brain. Kernicterus most often causes cerebral palsy and hearing loss, but in some children it can also cause mental retardation. Kernicterus can be prevented by using special lights (phototherapy) or other therapies to treat babies.

Cerebral palsy cannot be cured. Treatment can, however, help a person take part in family, school, and work activities as much as possible. There are many treatments, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine, operations, and braces.

What is the cost or economic impact associated with cerebral palsy?
Many people with cerebral palsy need long-term services or care. The average lifetime cost for one person with cerebral palsy is estimated to be $921,000 (in 2003 dollars). This represents costs over and above those experienced by a person who does not have a disability.

It is estimated that the lifetime costs for all people with cerebral palsy who were born in 2000 will total $11.5 billion (in 2003 dollars). These costs include both direct and indirect costs.

Direct medical costs, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, and inpatient hospital stays, make up 10% of these costs. Direct nonmedical expenses, such as home modifications, car modifications, and special education, make up 9% of the costs. Indirect costs, which include the value of lost wages when a person dies early, cannot work, or is limited in the amount or type of work he or she can do, make up 81% of the costs.

These estimates do not include other expenses, such as hospital outpatient visits, emergency department visits, residential care, and family out-of-pocket expenses. The actual economic costs of cerebral palsy are, therefore, even higher than what is reported here.