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Detecting Cerebral Palsy in Babies

Cerebral palsy includes a group of motor, non-contagious ailments that result in physical disability when it comes to physical development. The disease affects the brain and results in the disorder of physical movement. Cerebral palsy includes many signs and symptoms, many of which are evident during a child's infant and toddler years. Most signs are easily detectable before a child is 18 months old, though some signs--such as delay in walking--are closer to 2 years.

  1. Delayed Milestones

    • One potential indicator of cerebral palsy in babies is a delay in a child's motor development milestones. For instance, babies tend to lie on their stomachs and hold their heads up around 3 months of age and can put things in their mouth around 5 to 6 months. Also, babies tend to start repeating simple words around 7 to 8 months, and walking around 2 years. If a child is delayed in any of these areas, it may be the result of cerebral palsy. Always consult a doctor upon noticing a delay in milestones, as these can result from a variety of other reasons.

    Posture and Muscle Issues

    • If a child has reached 8 months of age and is still not able to hold their head upright and steady, this could be a potential result of cerebral palsy. If a baby's muscle tone appears stiff or flaccid, consult a doctor. Flaccid, or "floppy," muscle tone is evident if the baby constantly appears relaxed or tired. Increased muscle tone will make the baby appear stiff. The stiff and "floppy" muscle tones are often cited as symptoms of cerebral palsy in children.

    Others Signs

    • If a child shows preference toward one-half of the body, this is a potential result of cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy affects muscle coordination, and, often times, a result is loss of control in some (but not all) of the body, as evidenced by a baby or child losing control of a select part of the body.

    Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

    • Diagnosing cerebral palsy is no easy feat, because it shares symptoms with many other disorders. Therefore, doctors must run a number of tests to rule out other issues. Doctors, in trying to diagnose cerebral palsy, test for motor skills, and also run blood tests, genetic tests, vision and hearing tests and metabolic tests.

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