Additional Cerebral Palsy Symptoms
- Symptoms and Signs of
Cerebral Palsy may become more obvious as the child grows.
Some developmental problems may not appear until after a
baby's first year. The brain injury that causes Cerebral
Palsy does not get worse over time; however, its effects can
appear, change, or become more severe as the child gets
older.
Symptoms:
Delayed milestones such as
controlling head, rolling over, reaching with one hand,
sitting without support, crawling, or walking.
- Persistence of “infantile”
or “primitive” reflexes, which normally disappear 3-6 months
after birth
- Developing handedness before
age 18 months
This indicates weakness or abnormal muscle
tone on one side, which may be an early sign of CP.
- Abnormal muscle tone
Muscles may be very stiff (spastic) or unusually relaxed and
“floppy.” Limbs may be held in unusual or awkward positions.
For example, spastic leg muscles may cause legs to cross in
a scissor-like position.
- Abnormal movements:
Movements may be unusually jerky or abrupt, or slow and
writhing. They may appear uncontrolled or without purpose.
-
- Abnormal
sensations and perceptions
Some people with
CP feel pain when touched lightly. Even
everyday activities, such as brushing teeth,
may hurt. Abnormal sensations can also make
it difficult to identify common objects by
touch, such as feeling the difference
between a soft foam ball and a hard
baseball.
- Skeletal deformities
People
who have cerebral palsy on only one side may have shortened
limbs on the affected side. If not corrected by surgery or a
device, this can lead to tilting of the pelvic bones and
scoliosis (curvature of the spine).
- Smaller muscles in affected
arms or leg
Nervous system problems prevent movement in
affected arms and legs. Inactivity affects muscle growth
- Joint contractures
People
with spastic cerebral palsy may develop severe stiffening of
the joints because of unequal pressures on the joints
exerted by muscles of differing tone or strength.
- Mental retardation
Some,
although not all, children with cerebral palsy are affected
by mental retardation. Generally, the more severe the
retardation, the more severe the disability overall.
- Seizures
About one third of
people with cerebral palsy have seizures. Seizures may
appear early in life or years after the brain damage that
causes cerebral palsy. The physical signs of a seizure may
be partly masked by the abnormal movements of a person with
cerebral palsy.
- Speech problems
Speech is
partly controlled by movements of muscles of the tongue,
mouth, and throat. Some individuals with cerebral palsy are
unable to control these muscles and thus cannot speak
normally.
- Swallowing problems
Swallowing is a very complex
function that requires precise interaction of many groups of
muscles. People with cerebral palsy who are unable to
control these muscles will have problems sucking, eating,
drinking, and controlling their saliva. They may drool. An
even greater risk is aspiration, the inhalation into the
lungs of food or fluids from the mouth or nose. This can
cause infection or even suffocation.
- Hearing loss
Partial
hearing loss is not unusual in people with cerebral palsy.
The child may not respond to sounds or may have delayed
speech.
- Vision problems
Three
quarters of people with cerebral palsy have
strabismus, which is the turning in or out of one eye.
This is due to weakness of the muscles that control eye
movement. These people are often nearsighted. If not
corrected, strabismus can lead to more severe vision
problems over time.
- Dental problems
People with
cerebral palsy tend to have more cavities than usual. This
results from both defects in tooth enamel and difficulties
brushing the teeth.
- Bowel and/or bladder control
problems
These are caused by lack of muscle control.
Contrary to common belief,
however, cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap.
While a child with severe cerebral palsy might be unable to walk
and need extensive, lifelong care, a child with mild cerebral
palsy might be only slightly awkward and require no special
assistance.
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