History of Cerebral Palsy

Although there is no documented proof, there is no doubt that cerebral palsy has existed as long as women have been giving birth. Around 1860, English surgeon William Little wrote the first medical descriptions of a puzzling disorder that affected children in the first years of life, causing stiff, spastic muscles in their legs and, sometimes, their arms. These children had difficulty grasping objects, crawling and walking. They did not get better as they matured, but they did not get any worse. This condition was called Little’s disease for many years. Because it seemed that many of these children were born prematurely or had complicated deliveries, Dr. Little suggested their condition resulted from a lack of oxygen during birth. He suggested this oxygen shortage damaged sensitive brain tissues controlling movement.

However, a few decades later famed psychiatrist Sigmund Freud disagreed. His theory was that the disorder might have roots earlier in life during the brain’s development in the womb. Freud’s observations were largely discounted.

The belief that birth complications cause most cases of cerebral palsy was widespread among physicians and medical researchers until fairly recently. In the 1980s, scientists analyzed extensive data from a government study of more than 35,000 births and were surprised to discover that such complications account for only a small percentage of cases. This finding from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke perinatal study have profoundly altered medical theories about cerebral palsy and have spurred researchers to explore alternative causes.