Signs of Cerebral Palsy

Because cerebral palsy, known as CP for short, is a group of neurological disorders that affect body movement and muscle coordination, people who develop CP can demonstrate varying signs. CP is caused by brain damage or abnormal brain development, usually before or during birth, but it can also happen during the first months or years of a child’s life. The disorder can affect the entire body, just one or both limbs, or a single side of the body. CP’s general signs and symptoms include difficulty with coordination, movement, speech, eating, and development.

The signs of cerebral palsy vary significantly because there are many different levels and types of disability. Cerebral palsy affects movement and coordination by causing muscle stiffness and exaggerated reflexes, muscle tone that is either too floppy or too stiff, difficulty walking like a crouched gait, walking on toes, or crossing of the knees like scissors, favoring one side of the body like dragging a leg while crawling or reaching with only one hand, difficulty with fine motor skills like picking up utensils or buttoning clothes, noticeable lack of muscle coordination and balance, and jerky involuntary movements and tremors, usually slow or twisting movements. CP may also affect speech and eating, including delayed speech development, excessive drooling, or difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, or struggling while eating, chewing, or sucking.

An individual affected by CP may suffer from learning and intellectual disabilities, a delay in learning motor skills like crawling or sitting up, or even a smaller body or body parts than would normally be expected due to delayed growth. Unlike many other serious health conditions, CP does not worsen over time since it is the result of a one-time brain injury. While other mitigating factors that were not a result of the initial brain injury can affect health over time, many children diagnosed with cerebral palsy can experience a relatively normal life expectancy.

A significant sign that a child might have the disorder is the delayed movement or motor milestones, such as walking, rolling over, standing, or sitting. If a baby is younger than six months old, look for signs of their head lagging while lying on their back or when you pick them up, their body has a stiff or sloppy feeling, the legs get stiff and scissor or cross when you pick them up, and they constantly act as if they are pushing away from you.

Symptoms to watch for in a baby 6 to 10 months old include: the baby doesn’t roll in any direction, they can’t bring their hands together, they have a difficult time bringing their hands to their mouth, or the baby reaches out with one hand while keeping the other hand in a fist. If a baby is older than 10 months, pay close attention if the child crawls crookedly and pushes off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg, or if the child scoots around on their buttocks or hops on their knees but does not crawl on all fours. You should reach out to a doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs. Muscle rigidity and shortening may worsen if not treated aggressively.

If this sounds like a long and scary list, you should also understand that depending on the type of CP and severity of symptoms, a doctor may prescribe and recommend different treatments to help provide your child with a healthy and fulfilling life. Knowing more is the first step to being aware and learning how to deal with CP. There are abundant resources available to help you learn more about cerebral palsy, its effects, treatments, and more at BirthInjuryCenter.org.