Causes during birth include premature delivery, a detached placenta, long labor, breech birth, and multiple births. Causes during infancy include brain infections, head trauma, and near drowning. There are three major types of cerebral palsy. About 7 out of 10 patients have the spastic form. Their muscles contract and relax rapidly.
Affected limbs are weak and poorly developed.
A second form affects about 2 out of 10 patients. It involves twitching or jerking the person cannot control. This increases during stress and stops entirely during sleep. A third form affects about 1 in 10 patients. It involves poor balance, slow reflexes, and muscle weakness.