Is research being done on cerebral palsy? Yes. Active national programs of research are being vigorously pursued to prevent cerebral palsy and to improve the quality of life for persons with cerebral palsy. The two organizations with major research programs are the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation in the private sector and the National Institutes of Health in the government sector. The research questions being addressed include: What are the factors that predispose the developing fetal brain to injury? Can these factors be eliminated or minimized? What are the causes of lack of oxygen and of growth factors to the developing fetal brain? Can the developing fetal and newborn brain be protected? Why is low birth weight in the full-term infant and prematurity an important risk factor for cerebral palsy? Can cerebral palsy be diagnosed before birth and better diagnosed shortly after birth? Which available treatments are most effective for specific disabilities of persons with cerebral palsy? Based on new knowledge now available in the medical, surgical, behavioral and bioengineering sciences, what improvements can be made in the quality of life of people with cerebral palsy? What are the effects of aging on a person with cerebral palsy?