Cerebral palsyCerebral palsy (CP) is a brain injury. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not an illness and it does not get worse. According to the Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, “Cerebral palsy is a general term for various non-progressive disorders of motor function in people resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Brain damage can occur before, during, or shortly after birth. "("Cerebral"). Since the damage is caused during brain formation and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP may have problems with motor skills, tone muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing or speaking, shaking, trembling and difficulty with fine motor skills (“Cerebral Palsy: Hope”). can be diagnosed only by the age of a few years, most children with CP are born with it, and even if the condition does not get worse, the symptoms caused by brain damage may change and people with CP may have problems with vision, speech, hearing or language, but with early intervention, support and treatment, many people with CP can manage their disease and lead full, productive lives. . William Little wrote the first medical description of the disease in the 1860s. He believed that most cases of CP were caused by birth complications resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain. Cerebral palsy has long been called Little's disease. CP refers to neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and affect movement and coordination (“Cerebral Palsy: Hope”). Although CP is caused by damage to the motor areas of the brain and affects body movements and muscle coordination, it is not caused by problems in the muscles of the brain.... middle of article.. ....Work cited “Cerebral Palsy.” (nd): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Internet. February 15, 2012. Polzin, Scott; Odle, Thérèse. “Cerebral Palsy.” Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed. 2006 .Encyclopedia.com. February 15, 2012 “Cerebral Palsy: Hope Through Research” National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Internet. Early Cerebral Palsy Using a Profile of Abnormal Motor Patterns." Pediatrics 98.4 Pt 1 (1996): 692-697. MEDLINE. Internet. February 19, 2012. "UCP: Newsroom – Vocabulary Tips. » UCP: home page February 16.. 2012..