Early Signs and Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy in Babies

What causes cerebral palsy in babies?

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a type of motor disorder that can result from brain damage or abnormalities. In many cases, it is caused by a birth injury; that is, a complication or medical error shortly before, during, or after birth.

How early can a baby get a cerebral palsy diagnosis?

Cerebral palsy is typically diagnosed in babies and toddlers between 18 and 24 months of age., although signs and symptoms may be present much earlier. Babies who were premature can often be diagnosed with cerebral palsy by six months of corrected age if physicians know what clinical features and test results to look for. Corrected age takes into account an infant’s due date; if they were born early, the number of months they were premature is subtracted from their age. For example, if an infant is seven months old but was born two months prematurely, the corrected age would be five months.

The age of diagnosis varies depending on the severity of disability  and the type of cerebral palsy. More severe cases tend to be diagnosed earlier. Different subtypes of cerebral palsy (spastic, athetoid/dyskinetic, or ataxic) affect children differently. Because the signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy evolve as a child’s nervous system matures, a diagnosis may require several trips to the doctor for repeat examinations.

Close monitoring is especially important for babies who experienced a birth injury such as birth asphyxia or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), because they are at higher risk of developing cerebral palsy.

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Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy

Often, parents or doctors first suspect cerebral palsy when they notice a child exhibiting developmental delays. This means that the child does not reach key milestones, such as rolling over, crawling, sitting, walking, or speaking at the same time as their peers.

When diagnosing cerebral palsy, medical professionals will observe your child’s motor skills. They will look for signs and symptoms such as: 

  • abnormal muscle tone
  • unusual posture
  • persistent infant reflexes
  • early development of a hand preference

Additional testing for cerebral palsy can aid in diagnosis. Doctors may also perform tests including: 

  • computed tomography (CT) scans
  • magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • electroencephalograms (EEGs)
  • Prechtl Qualitative Assessment of General Movements
  • Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination
  • Developmental Assessment of Young Children
  • genetic tests

In many cases, parents actually notice signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy before medical professionals do. Nonetheless, physicians must do regular and proper examinations of all babies and young children.

General signs and symptoms in babies and young children

At any stage in a child’s growth and development, the following signs and symptoms may be indicative of cerebral palsy. If you see these traits in your child, talk to a doctor to confirm diagnosis:

  • Poor coordination
  • Difficulty speaking and/or understanding language
  • Retention of the primitive reflexes (such as rooting) well past the age at which they should stop
  • Joint and bone deformities and contractures (permanently fixed, tight muscles and joints)
  • Curling the hand into a fist
  • Soft tissue problems such as decreased muscle mass
  • Increased reflexes and clonus (a series of quick, involuntary, rhythmic, muscular contractions and relaxations of the arm or leg)
  • Sensory difficulties (hearing, vision, or processing disorders)
  • Scissor-walking or toe-walking
  • Inability to control the bladder or bowels
  • Abnormal mouth and tongue patterns, such as retracting and thrusting the tongue, biting hard and not letting go, an overly sensitive mouth, and frequent grimacing
  • Postural abnormalities
  • Delayed reactions/clumsiness (e.g. the child may fall over more than is typical for their age group)

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy by age

These early signs may indicate that a child has cerebral palsy. 

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy in babies younger than six months

  • When the baby is picked up while lying on their back, they cannot hold their head up.
  • While being held, the baby may also overextend their back and neck as though they are pulling away.
  • The baby feels stiff (hypertonic) or floppy (hypotonic).
  • When the baby is picked up, the legs get stiff or cross/scissor.
  • The baby has “cortical thumbs” – the thumb is always tucked into the palm.

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy in babies older than six months

Babies over six months may exhibit the following early indications of cerebral palsy:

  • The baby doesn’t roll over in either direction.
  • The baby develops right or left “handedness” earlier than normal (e.g. they reach out with one hand only while keeping the other one in a fist).
  • The baby struggles to bring their hands together.
  • The baby struggles to lift their hands to their mouth.

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy in babies older than ten months

Babies older than ten months may exhibit the following:

  • Lopsided crawling (the baby pushes off with one hand and leg while dragging the opposite hand and leg).
  • Inability to crawl on all fours (the baby may instead scoot around on their buttocks or hop on their knees).
  • Inability to stand on their own, even when holding onto support.

Why is early diagnosis important for babies with cerebral palsy?

It is crucial to diagnose cerebral palsy as soon as possible. The earlier a child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, the earlier they can begin treatment and therapy regimens. Early diagnosis, treatment, and therapy for cerebral palsy help minimize the child’s symptoms and maximize their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional potential.

What if my baby’s cerebral palsy was caused by medical malpractice?

Furthermore, diagnosing cerebral palsy early for children whose condition was caused by medical malpractice is particularly important because because these children may be entitled to compensation from a birth injury case.

Funds from a successful birth injury or medical /malpractice lawsuit help children with cerebral palsy afford: 

  • important treatment
  • physical, occupational, or speech therapy
  • lifestyle adjustment resources like mobility devices or home modifications

If a cerebral palsy diagnosis is delayed, the child’s statute of limitations may expire. A statute of limitations is a finite period of time (as determined by state law) during which parents have to pursue a lawsuit.

Detecting early signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy, getting a diagnosis, and pursuing legal action if need be can greatly improve quality of life for children with cerebral palsy from medical malpractice.

Cerebral palsy attorneys can help

Birth injury is a difficult area of law to pursue due to the complex nature of the medical records. Our award-winning attorneys have decades of joint experience with birth injury and cerebral palsy cases.

Our firm focuses exclusively on birth injury cases. This dedicated focus means we know the specific challenges families face in this situation. We are here to help you through your legal options.

To find out if you have a case, contact our firm and speak with one of our attorneys. Our in-house medical staff will review your child’s medical records to find out if any medical negligence occurred. We have numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements that attest to our success, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.

Tell us your story.

Dealing with a birth injury diagnosis can be difficult, but our attorneys can help. The ABC Law Centers: Birth Injury Lawyers team focuses exclusively on birth injury and are dedicated to earning justice for families like yours.

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Video: catching the early signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy

Sources

  1. Cerebral palsy: Classification and clinical features – UpToDate
  2. Early, Accurate Diagnosis and Early Intervention in Cerebral Palsy: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment | Neurology | JAMA Pediatrics
  3. Cerebral palsy: Evaluation and diagnosis – UpToDate
  4. Screening for Cerebral Palsy
  5. What are the early signs of cerebral palsy? | NICHD – Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  6. Granild‐Jensen, J. B., Rackauskaite, G., Flachs, E. M., & Uldall, P. (2015). Predictors for early diagnosis of cerebral palsy from national registry data. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 57(10), 931-935.
  7. Sarnat, H. B., & Sarnat, M. S. (1976). Neonatal encephalopathy following fetal distress: a clinical and electroencephalographic study. Archives of neurology, 33(10), 696-705.