Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term describing a group of heterogeneous conditions that cause non-progressive spasticity, ataxia, or involuntary movements; it is not a single specific disease (1). CP is a polyetiological disorder. The leading cause of CP development is damage to or abnormal development of the brain of the fetus or newborn. The pathophysiological basis of CP formation is brain injury occurring during a specific period of its development, followed by the formation of pathological muscle tone (predominantly spasticity), with preservation of postural reflexes and impaired development of sequential righting and equilibrium reflexes. The main difference between CP and other central paralyses lies in the timing of exposure to the pathological factor. The ratio of prenatal and perinatal factors in brain injury in CP is of significant importance (2).

Blair E, Langdon K, McIntyre S, Lawrence D, Watson L. Survival and mortality in cerebral palsy: observations to the sixth decade from a data linkage study of a total population register and National Death Index. BMC Neurol. 2019;19(1):111. Published 2019 Jun 4.

Himmelmann K, Sundh V. Survival with cerebral palsy over five decades in western Sweden. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2015;57(8):762-767.

Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society, Delgado MR, Hirtz D, et al. Practice parameter: pharmacologic treatment of spasticity in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society. Neurology. 2010;74(4):336-343.

Novak I, Morgan C, Fahey M, et al. State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(2):3. Published2020 Feb 21.

Committee Opinion No. 455: Magnesium sulfate before anticipated preterm birth for neuroprotection. ObstetGynecol. 2010;115(3):669-671.

Panda S, Singh A, Kato H, Kokhanov A. Cerebral Palsy: A Current Perspective. Neoreviews. 2024;25(6):e350-e360.

Oskoui M, Coutinho F, Dykeman J, Jetté N, Pringsheim T. An update on the prevalence of cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis [published correction appears in Dev Med Child Neurol. 2016 Mar;58(3):316.

Schmidt B, Roberts RS, Davis P, et al. Caffeine therapy for apnea of prematurity. N Engl J Med. 2006;354(20):2112-2121.

Novak I, Morgan C, Fahey M, et al. State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(2):3. Published 2020 Feb 21.