Cerebral Palsy Facts
In those with cerebral palsy, the brain does not properly control muscles and movement.
Some people with CP have additional disabilities, such as mental retardation or seizures.
· Moderate to severe CP - one of the most common childhood disabilities - is found in 1
to 2 in 1000 children, affecting more than 700 children born each year in California.
· The lifetime cost of medical and other care for a person with CP averages $445,000.
· The causes of the brain damage in CP are mostly unknown. About 25% of children with CP
have very low birthweight (less than 3.3 pounds).
· CP is more common in twins, partly because many twins have low birthweight.
(Adapted from a California Birth Defects Monitoring Program Fact Sheet "Cerebral
Palsy & Magnesium Sulfate".)
Back to Issue - February 1997
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