Most Common Signs Of Cerebral Palsy
No parent wants to believe their child may have cerebral palsy but with two or three children out of every thousand diagnosed with this condition, it is something that you should be aware of. If you notice that your child is not developing as fast as they should or you have reason to believe something may be wrong, it’s time to talk to your physician and discuss your concerns. Never be afraid to ask questions no matter how insignificant they may seem. This will help you to notice the signs of cerebral palsy.
It’s true that all children develop at different rates so you don’t want to jump to conclusion and worry for nothing. In fact, if your child is still very young, your physician may suggest that you simply keep a close eye on them for a while to give them more time to develop before you start to worry. Just because your first child or a niece or nephew could sit up by the time they were six months old doesn’t mean all children will.
Your child may very well be normal and simply growing at a slower rate than another child the same age but you should still know what the signs of cerebral palsy are just in case. The more you know about cerebral palsy symptoms, the easier it will be for you to determine if your child is growing normally or if there may be a problem. There are different types of cerebral palsy, for example ataxic cerebral palsy and spastic cerebral palsy, but they do share some common symptoms.
Most common signs of cerebral palsy:
• Trouble developing simple motor skills such as sitting, walking, kicking, holding, squeezing, etc
• Trouble sucking when trying to drink from a bottle or toddler’s cup
• Hypotonia (decreased muscles tone)
• Difficulty changing positions
• Hypertonia (increased muscle tone)
• Involuntary movements
• Body shakes and tremors
• Unusual posture (favoring one side)
If you notice your child has any of the symptoms above, discuss them with your doctor. Pay close attention if they have several of these symptoms because the more symptoms they have, the more likely it is that these signs are an indication there is a serious problem. It’s important to realize that if your child does have cerebral palsy the symptoms will vary depending on its severity. Identifying cerebral palsy at an early stage is very important. The sooner you start with cerebral palsy treatment the better.
When you see your doctor they will ask you a series of questions and it’s important that you answer them as accurately as possible. It would even be a good idea to start a journal and record when you notice something odd so you’ll have this information ready. Write down the date, time and what you noticed. Try to be specific with your notes because the more details you can provide, the more helpful this information will be.
If your health care provider feels there may be a problem they will do a series of tests that will help them determine if your child may have cerebral palsy. Juvenile cerebral palsy is not something that you should take lightly. There are many children with this condition that can grow and live a happy healthy life. On the other hand, there are many who have severe CP who requires special care. These children will need someone to take care of them for the rest of their life. Make sure you know the signs of cerebral palsy; it could make a difference to someone's life.
