Early signs of cerebral palsy usually appear before a child is 3 years of age, and often parents are the first to suspect that their infant is not developing motor skills the way he normally should. Infants suffering from cerebral palsy are frequently quite slow compared to other normal babies to reach developmental milestones, such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, smiling, or walking. This is known as developmental delay. However, there can be an appearance of more severe symptoms during birth.

Some children affected with cerebral palsy have an abnormal muscle tone. A decreased muscle tone is known as hypotonia, a condition in which the baby may seem flaccid and relaxed or even floppy. An increased muscle tone is called hypertonia, a condition in which the baby may seem stiff or rigid. In some cases, the baby may have an early period of hypotonia and then a progression to hypertonia after the first 2 to 3 months of life. Affected children can also have an unusual posture or favorability for one side of their body.

Early signs of cerebral palsy at birth:

A new born baby could be at a risk of cerebral palsy if he/ she has difficulty in breathing, trouble in eating, trouble in eliminating or has a lack of certain reflexes.

Early signs at three months:

A three-month old baby could be at a risk of cerebral palsy if he/ she doesn't respond to your voice, doesn't follow toys with her eyes, doesn't use facial expressions, has either unusually stiff or very floppy muscles, consistently uses and favors one side of his body more often than the other and doesn't enjoy being around people.

Early signs at four to five months:

A four-month old baby may be at a risk of cerebral palsy if he/ she has difficulty in getting objects to his mouth, doesn't turn his head to locate sounds or doesn't smile spontaneously.

Early signs at six months:

A six-month old infant may be at a risk of cerebral palsy if he/ she cannot sit without help, doesn't laugh or make sounds or doesn't actively reach for toys.

Early signs at seven to eight months:

An eight-month old child may be at a risk of cerebral palsy if he/ she doesn't follow toys with both eyes at both near and far ranges, doesn't actively reach for toys, doesn't bear some weight on her legs, doesn't try to attract attention through actions, doesn't babble and doesn't play games.