Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in Australia and can be one of the most expensive to manage.
CP is not a disease and it is not contagious.
Currently there is no known cure and no pre-birth test.
Most children with CP can expect a normal life span.
In Australia it is estimated that a child is born with CP every 15 hours.
1 child in 500 will develop CP and the number is unchanged over many years, though the severity level is on the increase.
There are around 34,000 people with cerebral palsy in Australia.
CP can be as mild as just a weakness in one hand ranging to an almost complete lack of movement.
Some people with CP may also have vision, hearing and speech impairments.
At least 2/3 of children with CP have movement difficulties affecting one or both arms which impacts their daily activities.
The majority of children with CP have profound and severe activity limitations:
Nearly 2/3 have self-care limitations (64.7%)
Over 1/2 have mobility limitations (52.7%)
Over 1/3 have communication limitations (39.9%)
Cerebral palsy can be more disabling and have a higher disability burden than being blind, deaf, asthmatic, diabetic, or having heart failure or localized cancer.
CPEC
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