Cerebral Palsy Symptoms
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a movement disorder that stems from congenital brain damage. Abnormal movements can range from mild to severe, and while incurable, some forms of treatment can improve the condition in certain patients. In some persons, cerebral palsy is so mild it may go unnoticed. But problems can still occur as a result of the condition.
The problems of movement originate in the brain. Symptoms, which usually appear before age three may include:
- Difficulty speaking
- Dragging one leg or foot
- Problems walking
- Loss of hearing
- Mental retardation
- Speech problems
- Vision difficulties
- Difficulty with small hand and finger movements
- Spasticity
- Writhing movements
Cerebral Palsy Symptoms During Infancy
Concerned parents notice the infant has problems with or delays in:
- Clutching objects
- Tremor
- Muscle tone that may be too rigid or too floppy
- Abnormal reflexes
- Drooling and swallowing
- Delays in rolling over, sitting, crawling, walking
- Unusual posture
- Favoring one side of the body
- Problems in finding the source of a sound
- Failure to smile at someone
- Unable to recognize his or her parents
- Failure to imitate sounds
- Does not babble in single syllables such as ma, ma, da, da
- Does not babble in multi-syllable sounds such as dadadadada, gagagaga
- Is not able to understand at least a few words by six to ten months
- Does not comply with simple commands such as giving back an object when requested
Abnormal Developmental Patterns
A young child with cerebral palsy is often slow to bring the hands together, raise or hold up the head, begin rolling over, moving to a sitting position, sit up without support, crawling, pulling him or herself up to a standing position, and walking. When other children achieve these important milestones, the child with cerebral palsy lags behind.
Other delays in the older child involve the ability to control fine muscle movements. He or she is slow to use a fork or spoon, button clothes, hold a pencil, write and draw shapes. The child may be clumsy and unable to ride a tricycle or bike, for example, when other children do. Some children with cerebral palsy never can achieve such goals.
Was Your Child Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy?
If your child is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, we may be able to help you seek compensation. The birth injury lawyers at Berkowitz Law Firm have extensive experience helping infants and families throughout the Stamford and Danbury, Connecticut area obtain justice in cerebral palsy cases that involve medical mistakes.
To speak with a Connecticut cerebral palsy lawyer about your circumstances, please call 1-866-314-9352.
