Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the brain and nervous system. This disease most often effects children, disturbing the patient's movements and coordination. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, and the National Health Services UK states that this damage usually occurs before, during or soon after the child is born. Symptoms vary between patients. The symptoms can be mild or severe, and are usually seen within the first three years of life. Early detection of first symptoms can lead to better treatment.
Delayed Development
Children with cerebral palsy sometimes develop slower than other children their age. Healthcommunities.com describes children with cerebral palsy as taking too long to learn how to crawl or walk. The child's muscle tone may also be malfunctioning. The best way to check these symptoms is for parents to have their children examined regularly by a pediatrician during the post-natal period.
Hypertonia
According to the Mayo Clinic, children with cerebral palsy often appear stiff or rigid. This condition is referred to as hypertonia or spasticity. Such a condition makes the child look tense and affects movement. A pediatrician will be able to spot this symptom during a regular well-child checkup.
Hypotonia
Though some children with cerebral palsy may experience hypertonia, others may experience hypotonia. Hypotonia as described by the National Health Services UK is a condition in which the patient has decreased muscle tone. This leads to the patient looking floppy. Cerebral palsy damages the nervous system, so the extreme variations of muscle tone can be the disease damaging different parts of the patient's nervous system.
Asymmetrical Walking Gait
Some children with cerebral palsy tend to favor one side of their body. The Mayo Clinic states that this can lead to a asymmetrical walk that is characterized by the child dragging one foot or leg. This can also make the child's posture seem unusual or slanted. The asymmetry can also affect balance.
Limb Weakness
Patients with cerebral palsy usually experience some form of leg weakness. Healthcommunities.com lists the different types of weakness. The names of the types use the suffix "-plegia" which means weakness. Patients can suffer from diplegia, a weakness in both arms or both legs, hemiplegia, a weakness on the limbs on either the right or left sides of the body, quadriplegia, weakness in all four limbs, monoplegia, weakness in one limb, and triplegia, weakness in three limbs.
Tremors
Many patients with cerebral palsy are affected by tremors in their limbs, according to the Mayo Clinic. These tremors can be seen while the patient is at rest and are usually seen by the patient's parents.
Difficulty with Precise Movements
Many patients with cerebral palsy have difficulty writing, tying their shoes, or putting on clothes. This difficulty with precision movements has been noted by National Health Services UK and the symptom coincides with damage to the motor cortex area of the brain.
