Fact Sheets Index.
Cerebral palsy is the name given to a group of disorders which affect posture and movement.
It results from damage to the developing brain - that is, it may occur before or during birth, or in the first few years of life. This is because the part of the brain which controls movement has been damaged or has failed to develop. This initial brain damage is not progressive - that is, the damage to the brain itself will not get worse as the person gets older. However, because some of the muscle control problems create effects of their own, the effects may increase and skills may be lost. One in every 400 children in Australia is born with cerebral palsy or develops it in the first years of life.