Cerebral palsy is a group of conditions impacting movement and posture. It's caused by damage that has occured to a child's developing brain. The word “cerebral” refers to the workings of the brain, and "palsy" referes to issues with using the muscles. Cerebral palsy is a disability commonly seen in young children that occurs as a result of damage to the brain during fetal development. The signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy show up early in childhood and also affect a child’s vision, hearing, and sensation. Let us explore the main cerebral palsy symptoms.
What are the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?
The main signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
- Head size differences: A child with cerebral palsy can have an unusually small head (microcephaly) or an unusually large head (macrocephaly), which is one of the main cerebral palsy signs.
- Irritability: Babies with the condition of cerebral palsy may seem to be fussy or irritated
- Lack of interaction: Babies and children with cerebral palsy may not interact or react with people around them.
- Hypotonia: It is a condition which develops when there is a lack of muscle tone and a floppy-like appearance.
- Delayed development: Children with cerebral palsy often have delays in reaching some expected developmental milestones because of slow development in motor skills such as rolling over, sitting up alone, or crawling affected by the brain cells
- Difficulty walking
- Spasticity or stiff muscles
- Ataxia condition showing lack of muscle coordination
- Involuntary movements
- Delays in speech development
- Difficulty swallowing
- Neurological problems like seizures, intellectual disabilities, and blindness