Cerebral Palsy Symptoms in Newborns

Unlike many other conditions, cerebral palsy is one that can easily be identified in infants. Mostly this is due to a lag in their developmental skills. Most diagnoses of cerebral palsy occur in children under the age of 3 and the symptoms may be noticed as early as the first few months of life.

Hypotonia

• Hypotonia in infants is due to a lack of muscle strength in the abdomen. Infants may seem loose and "floppy" according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Hypertonia

• Hypertonia is the exact opposite of hypotonia. With hypertonia, an infant's abdomen is going to be hard and rigid.

Fluxuation

• The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke also mentions that many infants can go from hypotonia to hypertonia within a few months time. This is also a symptom of cerebral palsy in infants.

Delay

• A delay in motor skills is one of the first signs parents notice of children with cerebral palsy. They may be delayed in rolling over, crawling, walking and other developmental milestones.

Favoring

• Infants with cerebral palsy may show signs of favoring one side of their body. This can be seen in their movements, large and small. Their fine motor skills will also be affected.

Posture

• Though this can be difficult to see in an infant, his posture may seem odd. This may be due to his favoring one side over the other.