Knowing the Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy occurs when damage is done to the brain. Cerebral palsy is characterized by impaired muscle movements and coordination.
The signs of cerebral palsy are not easy to recognize in an infant. Often the first sign recognized are movements that are jerky and sudden, similar to cerebral palsy.
The signs become more apparent, however, as the child gets older. Some of the main types of cerebral palsy are:
Spastic Cerebral Palsy: affects the entire body or can affect either side of the body and is characterized by stiff muscles.
Athetoid cerebral palsy: movements are slow, jerky, uncontrollable movements.
Ataxic cerebral palsy: a type of cerebral palsy where the coordination and balance are off.
Mixed cerebral palsy: The symptoms of the other cerebral palsy types are mixed in this particular condition.
Is Your Child Displaying Cerebral Palsy Symptoms?
Delayed development is the main symptom of cerebral palsy. Be sure to take your child to a doctor for an evaluation if he or she is displaying any cerebral palsy symptoms.
Milestones in early childhood are important to watch and monitor as your infant grows. An evaluation by a doctor is necessary if your child is not meeting the milestones.
There are developmental delays to be aware of and some of these are:
*Head movements are uncontrollable after 2 months
*when the child is not sitting on their own after 10 months
*after one year the child is still not crawling
*the child's body drags on one side
*the child is not walking after 2 years
Child's posture and early hand preference are two other signs to be aware of when considering cerebral palsy. When a child shows preference for one hand over the other before the age of one they should be evaluated by a doctor.
Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy and Associated Conditions
Children born with cerebral palsy will experience other associated conditions such as:
*Seizures
*Problems with breathing
*Impairments in hearing, speech or vision
*Challenged in their mental development
If your child shows any of the signs mentioned you need to bring them in to be evaluated by a specialist. MRIs, CT scans, EEGs and other related tests will be given in order to diagnose effectively.
Not all cerebral palsy cases are unavoidable. Your child's condition may be due to neglect of the medical staff.
If you believe that medical negligence is to blame for your child's cerebral palsy, you should contact a medical attorney right a way for an evaluation of your case and advise as to your legal rights.
Related posts:
