1. Note Issues With Movements and Muscle Development
Cerebral palsy affects muscle development and body movements in many ways. Children with cerebral palsy tend to slouch and have weak or rigid muscles and bone malformations in the jaw and spine. They may also suffer from muscle spasms.
Involuntary movements are another hallmark of cerebral palsy, but it's also important to recognize when children have difficulties performing voluntary movements. Known as ataxia, the features of this symptom include extreme difficulty performing simple manual tasks and poor coordination. Cerebral palsy patients are often unable to complete tasks requiring precision movements, such as buckling a belt or writing with a pen.
2. Walking and Mobility Difficulties Associated With Cerebral Palsy
Children with cerebral palsy consistently develop an abnormal gait, characterized by slouching to one side while walking or favoring or dragging one leg or foot. While some cerebral palsy patients are unable to walk at all, those who can may also display poor balance and scissor-walking, in which knees are pointed inwards and cross one another as the child takes forward steps.
3. Watch for Oral Symptoms
Individuals born with cerebral palsy also suffer from a variety of symptoms revolving around speaking and swallowing. Verbal language acquisition may be difficult for people born with cerebral palsy, even though mental retardation is not always a result of the condition. Even cerebral palsy patients with average or high intelligence display speaking difficulties. Cerebral palsy also makes it difficult to chew and swallow. As such, people affected by it often drool involuntarily and have a hard time sucking through a straw.
4. Recognize the Three Major Types of Cerebral Palsy
Doctors recognize three major subtypes of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetotic and ataxic. Spastic CP is the most common, and it is characterized by stiff muscles and difficulty moving your limbs.
Athetotic CP accounts for about 20 percent of cerebral palsy cases. This form of the disorder affect the entire body, not just certain limbs, as is seen in the majority of spastic cases. Involuntary movements are a hallmark of athetotic CP.
Ataxic CP is the rarest form of the condition, primarily affecting motor skills and balance. It should also be noted that some patients display mixed characteristics and that symptoms range from very mild to very severe. Some cerebral palsy patients go on to lead relatively normal lives, while others suffer from extreme mobility and quality of life issues.
