Cerebral Palsy Life Expectancy

While cerebral palsy (CP) is a debilitating disorder that may affect a child throughout their life, it is not classified as a degenerative disease. This means that the progress of the disorder does not worsen over time. In fact, it is not unusual for the opposite to occur, with symptoms decreasing over time. When estimating life expectancy for a child with cerebral palsy, the biggest factor is the severity of the diagnosis. More than 95% of patients with a less severe diagnosis will live past 40 years old.  Unfortunately, the prognosis is far direr for children with severe cerebral palsy: Only 20% will survive beyond the age of 40.

Cerebral Palsy

What is the Average Life Expectancy for Cerebral Palsy?

The average life expectancy for children with cerebral palsy can range from 25 to 70 years, depending on the severity of the diagnosis. This chart from the US National Library of Medicine offers a good illustration of how the severity of the symptoms affects survival rates.

Can You Die From Cerebral Palsy?

Similar to autoimmune diseases like AIDS, a person will not die from cerebral palsy. However, severe cases may cause fatal complications related to cerebral palsy.

Does Cerebral Palsy Get Worse With Age?

Cerebral palsy does not get worse with age, but the symptoms may change over time.

Cerebral Palsy Disabilities

Children with cerebral palsy may be diagnosed with coexistent disorders. These include:

  • Epilepsy
  • Vision impairment
  • Cognitive disability
  • Eating difficulties
  • Inability to walk

Treatments

If your child suddenly comes up with a problem, blaming your doctor is common because the doctor had a responsibility to protect your child. You may blame yourself wondering if you had gone to a different hospital if it may have changed things. While your distrust of doctors might even be for good reasons, you should understand how cerebral palsy doctors do their best to give you the best results. Most of them are experienced professionals and not all cases of CP could have been avoided.

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Editor

Rae S, Editor

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Expert

Elena Amato Borrelli, Expert

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Article Citations

  1. US National Library of Medicine
  2. CDC

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