Cerebral Palsy Symptoms: Recognizing Early Symptoms
Cerebral palsy occurs when damage is done to the brain. Cerebral palsy is characterized by impaired muscle movements and coordination.
Recognizing the signs of cerebral palsy in an infant is not easy. It may start by recognizing that the baby’s movements are jerky and sudden - similar to cerebral palsy.
However, the signs become more apparent as the child ages. Cerebral palsy’s main types are:
Spastic cerebral palsy: is characterized by stiff muscles and it can affect either one side of the body or affect the entire body.
Athetoid cerebral palsy: movements are slow, jerky, uncontrollable movements.
Ataxic cerebral palsy: The balance and coordination are off.
Mixed cerebral palsy: The symptoms of the other cerebral palsy types are mixed in this particular condition.
Are these Cerebral Palsy Symptoms Being Displayed by Your Child?
Delayed development is the main symptom of cerebral palsy. Be sure to take your child to a doctor for an evaluation if he or she is displaying any cerebral palsy symptoms.
Milestones in early childhood are important to watch and monitor as your infant grows. An evaluation by a doctor is necessary if your child is not meeting the milestones.
There are developmental delays to be aware of and some of these are:
*Head movements are uncontrollable after 2 months
*Not sitting on their own after 10 months
*The child is not crawling after one year
*dragging on one side of the child’s body
*Does not walk after 2 years of age
Other signs to be aware of are muscle stiffness, a child’s posture and a less noticeable sign is early hand preference. Early hand preference is when a child favors one hand over the other. Normally this will take place at one year of age or older. If they favor one hand before age one then take your child to see a doctor.
Associated Conditions, Symptoms & Diagnosis
When a child is born with cerebral palsy they may also have some of these associated conditions:
*Seizures
*Problems with breathing
*Possible impairments in vision, hearing or speech
*Mental development is impaired
Bring your child in for an evaluation by a doctor if they show any of these signs. Some diagnostic tests that may be used are MRI, CT scan, EEG and other related tests depending on the symptoms that are presenting.
Not all cerebral palsy cases are unavoidable. Your child’s condition may be due to neglect of the medical staff.
If you believe that medical negligence is to blame for your child’s cerebral palsy, you should contact a medical attorney right a way for an evaluation of your case and advise as to your legal rights.