Cerebral palsy is one of the most common disorders in children that usually affects muscle movement, tone, and posture. The vital cause of this disorder is immature brain damage before birth.
In this article, let’s discuss the early signs of cerebral palsy that you shouldn’t miss out on.
You can observe the foremost signs of cerebral palsy in the initial months of your child’s birth. However, they are unnoticed within the first two years of your child’s birth. So, in most cases, these symptoms can be noticed after two or more years.
Early Signs Of A Cerebral Palsy
The early signs of cerebral palsy include developmental delays, abnormal muscle tone, and abnormal posture.
- Delayed Child’s Development
When children are affected by cerebral palsy, they take a longer period to crawl, roll, sit, walk, or run. Yet, a few children take time for body development despite their health conditions. So, if you observe any delays in the child’s development, the chances are more that he/she is perhaps affected by cerebral palsy.
- Abnormal Posture
This is another most common early sign you can observe in cerebral palsy children. Usually, the children use one portion of the body more than the other while crawling or moving.
- Abnormal Muscle Tone
And the final sign is muscles becoming either too rigid or saggy.
You can also observe the above signs in some non-cerebral palsy children. However, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you find any of these early signs.
Early Signs Of A Cerebral Palsy
Now, let’s discuss the various early signs of cerebral palsy.
In general, you observe the following signs in infants of 6 months or below.
The babies take a long time to hold up their heads when you pick them up. In most cases, they aren’t able to head up when you pick them up when they lie on the bed or floor with their back facing the ground.
The muscles or bones feel stiff. The legs also get stiff or crossed. They stretch the neck and back as if they are moving away from you.
The early signs change as the child grows. So, you observe distinct signs in infants of distinct ages.
Similarly, the early signs of infants older than 6 months are as follows.
The children cannot roll over and tap their hands and legs like other babies. They perhaps feel it is difficult to bring their hands together. This is the reason the babies cannot bring their hands to their mouths. They hold things with one hand.
Finally, here are a few early signs of infants above 10 months.
Infants over 10 months feel it is challenging to crawl on their knees. So, they either hop or use their buttocks to move around. They need support from elders to stand or crawl.
If you’ve any of these early signs in your child, it’s advised to immediately contact the doctor to help your child. If you observe any of these early signs in your child, don’t fret, as some of these signs can be seen even in healthier infants. So, make sure you contact the doctor to monitor the child’s growth.
