Cerebral Palsy

What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy affects body movement and muscle coordination. Each case is unique based on the patient’s type of injury and the timing of the injury to the developing brain. CP may affect one limb or side of the body, or the whole body. Some patients may have total paralysis, requiring constant care, while others with partial paralysis might require minimal assistance.

Symptoms appear during infancy or preschool years and may include one or more of the following:

Muscle contractions, too much or too little, or simultaneous contraction of all

Limb shaking, trembling or writhing as a result of contractions

Limb stiffness, possibly forcing limbs into painful, awkward positions

Impairment of balance, posture and coordination

Delays in reaching motor skills milestones

Difficulty with tasks such as walking, sitting, tying shoes or grasping objects

Delays in speech development or difficulty speaking

Intellectual impairment, seizures and vision or hearing impairment

Drooling or problems with swallowing, sucking or eating

There are five major types of CP, based on mobility limitations and the body part(s) being affected: Hypotonic, spastic, athetoid, ataxic and mixed type.

Hypotonic CP. The infant or child with hypotonic cerebral palsy appears floppy. In early infancy, hypotonia can be easily seen by the inability of the infant to gain any head control when pulled by the arms to a sitting position (this symptom is often referred to as head lag).