Cerebral Palsy Symptoms & Signs
Neonatal – Early Infancy (0-3 Months)
- Excessive lethargy or irritability
- High pitched cry
- Poor head control
- Weak suck/tongue thrust/tonic bite
- Oral hypersensitivity
- Decreased interest in surroundings
- Stiff or floppy posture
- Abnormal or prolonged reflexes
Later Infancy
Inability to perform motor skills as indicated:
- Control hand grasp by 3 months
- Rolling over by 5 months
- Independent sitting by 7 months
Abnormal Developmental Patterns:
- Hand preference by 12 months
- Excessive arching of back
- Log rolling
- Abnormal or prolonged parachute response
Abnormal Developmental Patterns after 1 year of age:
- “W sitting” – knees flexed, legs extremely rotated
- “Bottom shuffling” Scoots along the floor
- Walking on tiptoe or hopping
Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by testing motor skills and reflexes, looking into medical history, and employing a variety of specialized tests. Although its symptoms may change over time, cerebral palsy by definition is not progressive, so if a patient shows increased impairment, the problem may be something other than cerebral palsy.
Between 500,000 – 700,000 Americans have some degree of cerebral palsy. About 3,000 babies are born with the disorder each year, and another 500 or so acquire it in the early years of life.
