Signs and Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy | Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation

There are some signs that may indicate a child has cerebral palsy. Not all signs are visible at birth and may become more obvious as babies develop.

Babies

Low muscle tone (baby feels ‘floppy’ when picked up)
Unable to hold up its own head while lying on their stomach or in a supported sitting position
Muscle spasms or feeling stiff
Poor muscle control, reflexes and posture
Delayed development (can’t sit up or independently roll over by 6 months)
Feeding or swallowing difficulties
Preference to use one side of their body

Toddlers/Children

Although the brain of toddlers/children with cerebral palsy remains injured, the injury does not get worse as they develop.

Depending on the level of severity of their cerebral palsy, toddlers and children may experience difficulties with their physical development such as:

not walking by 12-18 months
not speaking simple sentences by 24 months

If your child is not reaching these milestones or they display some of the signs of cerebral palsy, you may need to speak to your early childhood nurse, general practitioner or paediatrician.

When is cerebral palsy diagnosed?

Cerebral palsy is a complex disability and diagnosis is not always an easy process. Doctors may suspect cerebral palsy if a baby has slow motor development, has tight or floppy muscle tone, or displays unusual postures.

The time varies when parents are given an official diagnosis that their child has cerebral palsy. Most children with cerebral palsy are not born prematurely. Most are born at full term and it is not until they do not meet the usual infant milestones that any form of disability is considered. If a baby is very premature, early scans (such as MRI) might show that they have an injury to the brain, but at that stage it is often too early to predict the impact.The General Movements Assessment can be conducted from birth until 3 months of age. It has been shown to be a strong predictor of cerebral palsy, particularly when certain changes to the brain are seen on an MRI. However, it cannot predict the severity of cerebral palsy.If the result is that a baby is ‘at risk of cerebral palsy’, then intervention can start as early as one month.

How do doctors diagnose cerebral palsy?

They will pay special attention to the child’s movements – both their voluntary movements as well as their muscle tone.

Some children may have very relaxed, floppy muscles, while others have stiff, tight muscles.

Doctors will also look for any unusual postures or if the child favours one side over the other.

A scan such as a MRI may be ordered by the doctor.

One of the frustrations for parents is that sometimes a diagnosis can take a long time, with repeated tests and visits to specialists.

This may be because the child has a mild form of cerebral palsy, but it could also be because the doctor needs to make sure it is not another type of movement disorder that may be progressive (get worse over time).