When a child has Cerebral palsy, there are a variety of symptoms that can be observed by parents and doctors and that indicate that something is wrong.

In the first few months after birth, an infant with brain damage may show some or all of these symptoms that can indicate cerebral palsy:

• Lethargy – lack of alertness
• Irritability or fussiness
• High-pitched crying
• Trembling of the limbs
• Poor feeding abilities, such as sucking or swallowing
• Low muscle tone
• Seizures, staring, body twitching
• Abnormal reflexes

By six months, other signs of brain damage may appear:

• Muscle tone may change – the baby may go from floppy to stiff
• The child will clench its fist tightly
• Asymmetry of movement – one side favored over the other
• Poor feeding – tongue pushing food out of the mouth

In addition, other symptoms might be noticed:

• Developmental delay – the child is developing more slowly in skills such as rolling over, crawling or sitting up
• Motor disability – inability to hold on to objects
• Mental retardation: Some, although not all, children with cerebral palsy are affected by mental retardation. Generally, the more severe the retardation, the more severe the disability overall.
• Speech problems: Speech is partly controlled by movements of muscles of the tongue, mouth, and throat. Some individuals with cerebral palsy are unable to control these muscles and thus cannot speak normally.
• Vision problems: Three quarters of people with cerebral palsy have strabismus, which is the turning in or out of one eye. This is due to weakness of the muscles that control eye movement. These people are often nearsighted. If not corrected, strabismus can lead to more severe vision problems over time.
• Hearing loss: Partial hearing loss is not unusual in people with cerebral palsy. The child may not respond to sounds or may have delayed speech.
• Abnormal movements: Movements may be unusually jerky or abrupt, or slow and writhing. They may appear uncontrolled or without purpose.