Signs and Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a general term for brain disorders that affect children before the age of three by limiting their physical movement or coordination, called motor skills. There are four primary risk factors that doctors will look for in the early stages of childhood when noting cerebral palsy. If a child is born premature (more than five weeks before scheduled delivery, usually) or does not cry within five minutes of birth, it may have brain damage commonly attributed to cerebral palsy. Also, children born with brain hemorrhages or kept alive by a ventilator for the first month of their life are also at greater risk for cerebral palsy.

Other causes of cerebral palsy are related to special circumstances during birth, such as defects or conditions in the mother or child that interfere with brain and body development within the womb. If the mother has a serious medical condition like seizures, mental retardation, or Rh incompatibility (the incompatibility of blood between mother and fetus), the child may not get enough oxygen in the brain for proper development. A complicated delivery may also increase the risk of cerebral palsy. Babies born by breech birth (feet first) or as part of twin or triplet set are a greater risk for developmental defects characteristic of cerebral palsy.

There are also many symptoms of cerebral palsy that you may notice within the first three years of their life that are indicative of cerebral palsy. The inability to control muscles for actions like cutting with scissors or talking may be a sign of spastic cerebral palsy, in which the muscles are permanently contracted. If the baby’s legs are turned inward, they may have spastic diplegia, which contracts the muscles in the legs only. This form has fewer seizures than spastic quadriplegia, which also damages facial muscles, leading to speech difficulty and excessive drooling.

Other, less common forms of cerebral palsy are associated with the speed of muscle movements and reflexes. Patients with ataxic cerebral palsy may not be able to walk with their feet at a normal width and are not coordinated enough for quick movements like buttoning a shirt. Also, shaking of the limbs that follows a voluntary movement may be a symptom of intention tremors, a symptom of cerebral palsy. Some patients may even have a mix of all three types of cerebral palsy, inheriting symptoms of all kinds. If you observe signs of cerebral palsy in your child, talk to your pediatrician immediately about medical treatment and therapy to minimize the damage.