Cerebral Palsy Symptom

Cerebral palsy is a group of chronic disorders impairing control of movement. These disorders generally appear in the first few years of life and usually do not worsen overtime.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy:

Cerebral palsy is caused by injuries, infections or other trauma to the brain when an infant is in uterus or during the time of birth. Some of the known causes of cerebral palsy include infections during pregnancy, insufficient oxygen reaching the fetus, premature birth and asphyxia during labor and delivery, blood diseases, severe jaundice and other birth defects.

Symptoms – How to diagnose Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy can be diagnosed mainly by evaluating how a baby or a young child moves. The doctor will check the child's reflexes and examine if the baby has developed a preference for using his right or left hand. While most babies do not develop a preference for either right-handed or left-handed until at least 12 months of age, some babies with cerebral palsy do so before six months of age. Another sign of cerebral palsy is the persistence of certain reflexes, called primitive reflexes that are normal in younger infants, but generally disappear by 6 to 12 months of age. A careful medical history should be taken to rule out any other disorders that could be causing the symptoms. Brain imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT scan) or ultrasound can help identify the cause of cerebral palsy. Ultrasound is often recommended in babies who are considered at risk of cerebral palsy to help diagnose brain abnormalities that are frequently associated with cerebral palsy thereby allowing therapy to begin early.

Signs and Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy:

The various signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy include poor head control, delays in motor development, lying in awkward positions, delay in crawling and walking as well as favoring of one hand over the other and abnormal crawling. The other symptoms of cerebral palsy are floppy or stiff movements due to overdeveloped or underdeveloped muscles, loss of coordination and balance, involuntary slow, writhing movements, spastic paralysis resulting in abnormal stiffness and contraction of muscles and slow overall development. The other problems due to cerebral palsy are difficulty with speech, hearing, or vision, difficulty with sensation, breathing difficulties, seizures, behavioral and/ or attention deficit disorders and limited range of motion.

1. Early Sign of Cerebral Palsy
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2. Cause of Cerebral Palsy
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3. Cerebral palsy information: Cerebral Palsy Facts
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4. Cerebral Palsy-Helpful information
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5. Cerebral Palsy Brain- Effects of the Disorder
Cerebral palsy is the term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movements and muscle co-ordination. It...