What Are Some Cerebral Palsy Complications?

Some people who have cerebral palsy have various other disorders as well. Around a third of patients with cerebral palsy have mild intellectual impairment, while another third are either moderately or severely impaired. Mental impairment occurs most often in children who have spastic quadriplegia.

A large portion of all patients with cerebral palsy have seizures that cause bursts of electricity to disrupt the brain's normal functioning. Seizures that occur without a trigger are classified as epilepsy.

Children who have moderate to severe cerebral palsy often have problems with development. These infants may not gain weight normally, children may be excessively short and teenagers may have slow sexual development. Some patients, such as those with spastic hemiplegia, have muscles that are much smaller than normal. Limbs on the part of the body that is affected by cerebral palsy might grow slower than those on the opposite side. The hands and feet are also affected.

Vision and hearing issues are also more common in those people who have cerebral palsy. Issues with both the left and right eye muscles cause a malalignment, which is typically called a strabismus. Sometimes this will cause physician's to recommend corrective surgery.

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