*Cerebral Palsy in Children*

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent, non-progressive neurological disorders that affect movement, posture, and muscle coordination. It results from damage to the developing brain, most often occurring before birth, but it can also happen during delivery or in early infancy. Although the brain injury does not worsen over time, the physical manifestations may change as the child grows. The primary feature of cerebral palsy is impaired motor function. Children may present with abnormal muscle tone—either increased (spasticity), decreased (hypotonia), or fluctuating tone. Based on the type of movement disorder, CP is commonly classified into spastic, dyskinetic (athetoid), ataxic, or mixed types. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form and is characterized by stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes. The condition can affect different parts of the body. For example, hemiplegia involves one side of the body, diplegia mainly affects the lower limbs, and quadriplegia involves all four limbs and often the trunk. In addition to motor impairment, children with CP may have associated problems such as intellectual disability, seizures, speech and language difficulties, vision or hearing impairments, and feeding challenges. Risk factors for cerebral palsy include premature birth, low birth weight, birth asphyxia, maternal infections during pregnancy, and neonatal complications such as jaundice or brain infections. Early signs may include delayed developmental milestones (such as sitting, crawling, or walking), abnormal posture, poor coordination, and persistent primitive reflexes.