Cerebral Palsy in Spanish

What it means

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neurologic disorders that cause problems with movement, balance, and posture. "Cerebral" means having to do with the brain, and "palsy" means weakness or problems with using the muscles. CP is caused by abnormal development of, or damage to, the developing brain; when this happens before birth it is called congenital CP, and most CP is congenital. Signs usually appear in the early months of life, and the condition can range from mild to severe. The brain damage and the disabilities it causes are permanent, but CP is not progressive, meaning it does not necessarily get worse over time. There is no cure, but treatment can improve the lives of people who have it.

Spanish term: Parálisis Cerebral
Gender and article: feminine: la parálisis cerebral
Pronunciation: pah-RAH-lee-sees seh-reh-BRAHL

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
PC	General	Abbreviation MedlinePlus en español gives after the full name, on its topic page and in its encyclopedia article.

MedlinePlus en español writes parálisis cerebral as a feminine noun phrase (la parálisis cerebral) and abbreviates it PC; the Spanish NICHD page mentions CP as the abbreviation from the English name. MedlinePlus en español explains the two words in their Spanish order: parálisis means weakness or problems using the muscles, and cerebral means having to do with the brain.

The types keep the same pattern, with the adjective last: parálisis cerebral espástica (spastic), discinética (dyskinetic), atáxica (ataxic) and mixta (mixed). CP that begins before birth is parálisis cerebral congénita, and CP that happens more than 28 days after birth is parálisis cerebral adquirida. Other words from the same page include tono muscular (muscle tone), espasticidad (spasticity), hitos del desarrollo (developmental milestones), aparatos ortopédicos y andadores (braces and walkers) and terapia física, ocupacional, recreativa y del habla (physical, occupational, recreational and speech therapy).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My baby is nine months old and still cannot sit up without help.	Mi bebé tiene nueve meses y todavía no puede sentarse sin ayuda.
Clinician	Do the baby's muscles seem stiff or floppy to you?	¿Le parece que los músculos del bebé están rígidos o flácidos?
Patient	The legs get very stiff, and my baby uses only one hand to reach for things.	Las piernas se le ponen muy rígidas, y mi bebé solo usa una mano para alcanzar objetos.
Clinician	We are going to do a developmental screening test.	Vamos a hacerle una prueba del desarrollo.
Patient	We were told it is cerebral palsy. Will it get worse over time?	Nos dijeron que es parálisis cerebral. ¿Empeorará con el tiempo?
Clinician	Cerebral palsy has no cure, but treatment can help with movement and communication.	La parálisis cerebral no tiene cura, pero el tratamiento puede ayudar con el movimiento y la comunicación.
Clinician	The treatment plan may include physical, occupational, and speech therapy.	El plan de tratamiento puede incluir terapia física, ocupacional y del habla.
Patient	I have cerebral palsy and I use braces to walk.	Tengo parálisis cerebral y uso aparatos ortopédicos para caminar.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Cerebral Palsy
Spanish (Español)	Parálisis Cerebral
Chinese (中文)	腦性麻痺
Korean (한국어)	뇌성마비
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bại não
Filipino (Tagalog)	Cerebral Palsy
Portuguese (Português)	Paralisia Cerebral
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	สมองพิการ
Japanese (日本語)	脳性麻痺

Where you'll see it

chartEOBreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: G80 → Cerebral palsy

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Brain and nerves

All terms in this area: Brain and nerves — Cerebro y nervios

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.