Facts about cerebral palsy

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Key Facts

• Every 20 hours, an Australian child is born with cerebral palsy.
• It is the most common physical disability in childhood.
• Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for a group of disorders. It is a condition that is permanent, but not unchanging.
• Cerebral palsy is a life-long physical disability due to injury of the developing brain.
• In most cases, brain injury leading to cerebral palsy occurs during pregnancy.
• Cerebral palsy, except in its mildest forms, can be evident in the first 12-18 months.
• Motor disability can range from minimal to profound, depending on the individual.
• It can range from weakness in one hand, to an almost complete lack of voluntary movement. People with significant physical disability may require 24 hour a day care.
• People with cerebral palsy are likely to also have other impairments in addition to their motor disability.
• Spastic hemiplegia, where one half of the body has difficulty with voluntary movement, is the most common presentation of cerebral palsy. Approximately 40% of people with cerebral palsy have hemiplegia.
• There is no known cure.

Statistics

• 1 in 700 Australian babies is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
• 1 in 2 is in chronic pain.
• 1 in 2 has an intellectual impairment.
• 1 in 3 cannot walk.
• 1 in 3 has hip displacement.
• 1 in 4 has epilepsy.
• 1 in 4 has a behaviour disorder.
• 1 in 4 cannot talk.
• 1 in 5 is tube fed.
• 1 in 5 has a sleep disorder.
• 1 in 10 has a severe vision impairment.
• 1 in 25 has a severe hearing impairment.
• Of all children with cerebral palsy, 40% were born prematurely and 60% born at term.
• 11% of children were from a multiple birth, compared to just over 6% of the Australian population.
• Globally, approximately 17 million people have cerebral palsy.
• Approximately 34,000 people are living with cerebral palsy in Australia.
• The cost of cerebral palsy is estimated expenditure of $1.47 billion per year.
• Care is estimated to cost an average of $43,431 per person per year, of which approximately 37% is borne by the individual and/or their family.
• When a value for lost well-being is included, this cost increases to $115,000 per year.
• The number of people with cerebral palsy in Australia is expected to increase to 47,601 by 2050.