Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term which refers to a group of disorders affecting body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, posture and balance.
It is a permanent life-long condition but generally does not worsen over time. People who have cerebral palsy may also have visual, learning, hearing, speech, epilepsy and intellectual impairments.
Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
- low muscle tone
- unable to hold up his/her own head while lying on their stomach or in a supported sitting position
- muscle spasms or feeling stiff
- poor muscle control, reflexes and posture
- delayed development
- feeding or swallowing difficulties
- a preference for one side of their body
There are 50 million people with cerebral palsy around the world. The Cerebral Palsy Alliance would like people with this permanent neurological condition to have access to support based on the best and latest knowledge.
Here are some useful resources:
- Cerebral Palsy Day factsheet
- cerebralpalsy.org.au
- Signs and symptoms
- Services and early diagnosis
- Early response therapy program
- Refer a client
- Worldcpday.org
This article appeared in Practice Pulse on Wednesday, 8 September 2026. If you are a GP, practice nurse or practice manager in South Western Sydney and do not get the weekly Practice Pulse email, speak to your Practice Support Officer.
