How does cerebral palsy affect the family of a child diagnosed with the cerebral palsy?

if a child in your family was diagnosed with cerebral palsy it means it got passed along with the genes because your cant really just get cerebral palsy it actually come to you through the genes witch means some one else has passed it along to her in the family.........

• • NOTE** I don't really like this answer so I'm editing it because it is totally wrong. You don't get it by someone else, you get it before, after or during birth. Usually with premature babies. Especially babies under 3.3 pounds. I'm not trying to be rude to this person, just want to inform you of the right answer. That you CAN NOT get it from someone else; it is NOT contagious. [Don't know if I spelled that right] But ya. BUT I think that the question was how CP affects other family members. It doesn't really affect family members in a "bad" way. It just may be hard on the mom and dad a little bit. You have to be more careful, and can't be so rough as you would [and I use this term VERRRYY lightly. And it kinda hurts to say this] a "normal" child.

-- i_lovers_you [in case you didnt like what i wrote..] =] =] =]

The first answer is totally incorrect but because I don't remove other people's answers unless they are either offensive or totally irrelevant to the question, I will leave it there. I initially posted this at the top of the page but the person who answered third (the post directly above mine) evidently didn't see it.

Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the young developing brain and can occur during pregnancy (about 75 percent), during childbirth (about 5 percent) or after birth (about 15 percent) up to about age three. [Quoted from Wikipedia]

It is not hereditary and cannot be passed on. Genetically, it does not affect the family. Socially, it definitely will.

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thought i'd jus add to you answers. Im just studying this at the moment.

- parents will become financially burderend

- may have to reconsider their careers as will have to spend alot more time supporting the child

- stressful, as any parent wants to see their child thrive in education etc

- feeling of guilt and self-accusation (esp mother)