Some of the causes of Cerebral Palsy are asphyxia, hypoxia of the brain, birth trauma, premature birth, and certain infections in the mother during and before birth such as strep infections, central nervous system infections, trauma ,and multiple birth.

Between 50% of all children who develop cerebral palsy are born prematurely. Premature infants are at higher risk in part because their organs are not yet fully developed, increasing the risk of injury to the brain, which in turn increases the incidence of Cerebral Palsy.
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Low birthweight is a risk factor for Cerebral Palsy and premature infants usually have low birth weights but full-term infants can also have low birth weights. Multiple-birth infants are also more likely than single-birth infants to be born early or with a low birth weight.

After birth, other causes of Cerebral Palsy include asphyxia, toxins, severe jaundice, physical brain injury, shaken baby syndrome, and encephalitis. The three most common causes of asphyxia in the young child are: choking on foreign objects such as toys and pieces of food; poisoning; and near drowning.

By most accounts, asphyxia is not genetic or hereditary. Cerebral Palsy does not worsen over time.

A common misconception about those born with Cerebral Palsy is that they are less intelligent than those born without it. Cerebral Palsy is defined as damage to the part of the brain that controls movement; areas of the brain that define a persons intelligence are not affected by Cerebral Palsy.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy, the most common form of CP, causes the muscles to be tense, rigid and movements are slow and difficult. This can be misinterpreted as cognitive delay due to difficulty of communication. Individuals with cerebral palsy can have learning difficulties, but sometimes it is the sheer magnitude of problems caused by the underlying brain injury that prevents the individual from expressing what cognitive abilities they do possess.