Danny Burle asked:


There may be no cure for cerebral palsy but treatment for cerebral palsy is possible. Parents who seek treatment for their children need to know a couple of basic facts about cerebral palsy treatment.

Goals of Treatment

Present research offers no immediate cerebral palsy cure. Parents may therefore wonder what treatment is for. Although treatment cannot cure the condition, it has some other benefit. Treatment can help individuals with cerebral palsy use their limbs to the utmost possible. Treatment therefore aims to maintain bone strength, improve flexibility, improve coordination and correct postures and alignment. The end result is an individual who is able to care for himself and function in society. The rate of progress and treatment success depend on the severity of the condition of a patient.

Multidisciplinary Approach

Treatment for cerebral palsy has to be planned. The planning and execution is done by experts in various fields. This means that more than one expert may have to be consulted for your child’s treatment. The number of experts and the duration of treatment would depend on your child’s condition.

Even with expert help however, parents may have to participate in the program. After all, activities such as play, bathing and feeding are executed at home and not with therapists. Parents therefore need to learn how respond to the needs of their child while at the same time fostering as much independence as possible.

Therapy

One top treatment for cerebral palsy is therapy. For some patients this may be all they would ever need. Physical therapists help patients achieve flexibility and optimum use of their muscles and bones. This may be done through a series of special exercises for muscle toning.

Occupational therapists may also be needed. These are the experts who assist cerebral palsy patients in learning to participate in daily home and school activities. Various activities may be devised to help individuals learn how to use their limbs in such activities as dressing up, writing, walking, sitting and feeding oneself.

Medications

Some patients may require medicines as part of their treatment for cerebral palsy. They may be prescribed to help ease rigid muscles and limit tremors. The usual problem with medications is the side effects. A person who may already have a hard time with movement may have to deal with possible physical discomforts such as headaches and nausea.

Surgery

Surgical procedures may be resorted to only in some cases. They may be needed to ensure better bone placement. In some cases, surgery may be used to reduce the symptoms of those with spastic cerebral palsy. As with every other condition however, surgery is always a last resort when nothing else will work.

Gadgets and Devices

Depending on a child’s condition, certain equipment may have to be used. Braces are the most common devices used. Aside from these, patients may also need wheelchairs and communication devices.

There is always hope for kids with cerebral palsy. Getting into the right treatment for cerebral palsy can help ensure that kids can function normally in life.



Cynthia

Danny Burle asked:


It would be good to have some knowledge of the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Knowing the signs and symptoms of the disorder can ensure prompt therapy for the child with the condition. There are a couple of important facts that you should know about the symptoms of the condition.

* The symptoms are not the same for every child. There are three major types of cerebral palsy. A child’s symptoms will depend on the type that he has. He could have ataxic, atethotic or spastic cerebral palsy. The last one can further be categorized into spastic diplegia, spastic hemiplegia or spastic quadriplegia depending on the limbs affected.

* In some cases, a child could have mixed symptoms from the three major categories. The symptoms of cerebral palsy could therefore include stiff muscles, floppy muscles, asymmetrical gait, drooling, tremors, seizures, uncontrolled movement, foot dragging, scissors gait, difficulty swallowing and possible hearing and sight impairment.

* Some kids with cerebral palsy may also have mental retardation. This is not however, always so. In fact many individuals with cerebral palsy have mental capacities that are normal for their age.

* The symptoms do not have a set time frame when they appear. Some children may show signs and symptoms on the first few days and weeks after birth. Those who may have milder conditions may only show symptoms after a year or more.

* The symptoms of cerebral palsy can make movement difficult. This does not mean though that those with cerebral palsy can never function on their own. Therapeutic techniques and procedures can be designed to help children with the condition achieve their full potential. Many patients who undergo appropriate treatment can live enjoyable and fulfilling lives.

* Therapeutic techniques can range from special exercises to psychotherapy. Some of the methods such as exercises can be performed with parents at home. It is important to remember however that therapeutic programs should be tailor-suited to the condition and ability of an individual. A child’s particular program can be made with the combined assistance of several specialists.

* Specialists work together as a team to help treat the symptoms of cerebral palsy. A team of specialists may include occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychotherapists, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons and special education teachers.

* There are guidelines to follow in the diagnosis of the disorder. Specialists may seek to rule out other possible conditions that may come with similar symptoms. Your child’s doctor will also check such factors as reflexes, muscle tone, movement and visible limb deformities.

* Parents should know when to expect babies to perform motor tasks. Parents should be concerned if their baby is not able to learn to crawl, grasp, sit, stand or walk. This is especially so if the child is over one year of age. Consider seeing a specialist if you suspect that your child is extremely delayed in motor function.

The symptoms of cerebral palsy can be alarming. They do not however, spell the end of a good life for your child. Seek therapeutic assistance as soon as possible to help your child become the best that he can be.



Sandra

Andrew Brereton asked:


The principles behind neuro-cognitive therapy are two-fold. Firstly that children with developmental difficulties experience problems of sensory perception and need the provision of an appropriate ‘neurological environment’ in order to correct these sensory mis-perceptions. Secondly, learning can lead development and no matter how badly affected a child is, if information is presented at the correct level and in the correct manner, any child can learn.

The regime is the brainchild of Andrew Brereton, who himself was the father of a child who suffered profound cerebral palsy and autism. Unfortunately Andrew’s son passed away from a stroke four years ago, but during his life and afterward Andrew has striven to study and become qualified in the areas of child development and cognitive psychology. During his son’s life Andrew gained the his first degree in psychology and child development, later studying in the department of ‘Human communications sciences’ at the University of Sheffield, where he gained post graduate qualifications in ‘Language and Communication Impairments in Children.’ Latterly Andrew gained his Msc in cognitive psychology and child development.

His son’s problems initially motivated Andrew to study as he became tired of the life of his family being controlled by doctors and therapists, who often did not appear to have much of a clue about treating his son. His aim was to amass the knowledge required to free his family from this control, so that they could question the professionals who were treating his son as equals and regain their independence. However, it soon became apparent to Andrew that his studies would become far more meaningful to him than this simple ambition and he began to nurture ideas about helping other children.

Andrew’s quest for knowledge led his family all over the world to various clinics who offered alternative treatments, often against the advice of his son’s medical professionals, some of whom treated the family badly, viewing the families decision to try alternatives as a threat to their competence. Despite the fact that some of the alternative treatments were helpful in helping his son make incredible developmental gains, for instance restoring his vision from being cortically blind, Andrew became disillusioned with many of the proponents of such alternatives after discovering their lack of qualifications in the field. It was at this point that he knew how he must use his own studies to help other children like his son.

Andrew launched Snowdrop earlier this year and has been staggered at the response from families who have children like his son. Within just a few short weeks of the launch Snowdrop is treating children from as far afield as the US, South Africa and Indonesia, in addition to treating children in the UK.

Andrew has also published two books, one on the subject of cerebral palsy and the other concerning autism, which can be obtained through the Snowdrop website.



Grace

Paul Hata asked:


Cerebral palsy is not a disease but a condition, just like deaf.Children and adults with this condition should not be called as cerebral palsy children but children having cerebral palsy. Similarly for the deaf, one should speak person is having deafness and not to call him a deaf person.

What Is Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy is a non progressive neuromuscular disorder causing mild to severe disabilities throughout life.This condition is manifested as a group of persisting qualitative motor disorders which appear in young children due to damage to the brain during delivery or due to some pathological conditions in the intrauterine life.The neuroligical problems are multiple but non progressive in nature.Approximately 2 per 100 live birth is having this problem.This disease is having no hereditary tendency.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

1.Injury to the brain during delivery.

2.As a complication of forceps delivery.

3.Lack of oxygen supply to the baby during delivery.

4.Infections during delivery.

Signs and symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

The signs and symptoms may not be similar in all babies affected.Depending upon the damage to the brain there may be mild to severe lesions.

1.Mild cases - 20% children will have mild disability.

2.Moderate cases - 50% cases are having moderate disability.

The affected children require self help for assisting their impaired ambulation capacity.

3.Severe cases -About 30% of the affected children are totally incapacited and bedridden.

They always need care from others.

Abnormal findings of Cerebral palsy

1,Abnormal neonatal reflexes.

2,Stiffness of all muscles with awkward motion.

3,Extention of extremities on vertical suspension of the infant.

4,Scissoring of the lower limbs due to spasm of the adductor muscles of the thigh.

5,In severe cases the back bend backwards like and arch.

6,May have total or partial paralysis.

7,Arrest of neurological and behavioral developement.

8,Swallowing may be difficult in some cases.

9,Drooling of saliva.

10,Mild to severe mental retardations.

11,Abnormal movements are seen in some cases.

12,Tremors with typical movements.

13,If cerebellum is affected there will be loss of muscle tone with difficulty in walking.

14,Complete or partial loss of hearing.

15,Speech may be affected.

16,Squint and other visual problems may be associated.

17,Convulsions may be seen in some children.

Cerebral palsy is diagnosed by detailed clinical examination and by eliminating other similar diseases like brain tumour, progressive atrophy ect.All investigations like CT scan,MRI and routine investigations are needed to ruleout other diseases.

Management of Cerebral Palsy

1.General Management - This includes proper nutrition and personal care. Symptomatic medicines are needed to reduce convulsions and muscle stiffness. Diazepam can reduce spasticity and athetosis.

Dantrolene sodium helps to relax skeletal muscles.

2.Physiotherapy - Here massage,exercise, hydrotherapy and ect are needed.Special training is given to train walking,swallowing and talking.The affected children are also trained to hold articles for routine activities.

3.Rehabilitation - Moral and social support should be given to these children.They should be send to special schools where special training can be given by trained staff.Mentally retarded children need special training.Depending up on the disabitity special instruments and machines are given for locomotion and to assist their daytoday activities.

4.Occupational Therapy - This is given by occupational therapists.They train the disabled people to do some suitable works so that these people can have their own income.



Howard

Danny Burle asked:


Cerebral palsy actually affects so many of us that research continues to find out how to prevent the condition. Since it has no known cure to this date, prevention of the condition during pregnancy is usually stressed. There are, however, several treatments available to keep symptoms at bay. If you’re looking for cerebral palsy definition, there’s a lot more information these days than in previous years. This article will discuss the common questions regarding cerebral palsy.

So what exactly is cerebral palsy? When a child turns 3 years old, he or she is most likely able to coordinate motor movements such as sitting, walking, clapping, talking and smiling. However, if a child at this age is still unable to do those basic movements then he or she has a higher possibility of having cerebral palsy. In short, cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect motor movements and muscle coordination.

To this date no one knows what the exact cause of cerebral palsy is. But there have been several factors found to contribute to the condition. Damage to a certain area or areas of the brain during the developmental stages is said to trigger cerebral palsy. The areas affected are said to be those parts in the brain that control motor movements. The unanswered question is why the damage occurs in the first place.

Here is the basic cerebral palsy definition: “Cerebral” means brain and “palsy” refers to a disorder of posture or movement. The brain keeps on developing from the fetal stage in early pregnancy until the child is around 3 years old. Because cerebral palsy has a lot to do with the developing brain, it can occur before, during or after birth. The condition is not known to affect a child once the development of the brain is complete. For instance, a child who has no signs of cerebral palsy at 5 years of age is unlikely to have cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy definition isn’t limited to just one. There are actually 3 types of cerebral palsy, which are spastic cerebral palsy, Athetoid cerebral palsy and Ataxic cerebral palsy. Spastic cerebral palsy is what triggers stiffness and movement problems. Athetoid cerebral palsy on the other hand causes sluggish involuntary movements, or movements that are uncontrollable. Finally, Ataxic cerebral palsy causes problems in balance and perceiving depth.

So just how many individuals have cerebral palsy? In the United States alone there are almost 800,000 children and adults who experience a symptom or symptoms of cerebral palsy. It is estimated that around 10,000 babies born in the country will have cerebral palsy.

The signs of the condition are a large part of cerebral palsy definition. Early signs that occur before a child turns 3 years of age may show that the child hasn’t developed any motor skills. Cerebral palsy in infants will often trigger a developmental delay. Parents may notice that their child is not reaching developmental stages in which rolling over, crawling, smiling, walking or sitting aren’t being achieved. Other signs include abnormal muscle tone, unusual posture and a difficult pregnancy involving bleeding, fevers and infection.

Many are now aware of the cerebral palsy definition. Although there is still no cure, scientists and researchers have found possible ways to prevent cerebral palsy from developing in the first place. For instance, the administration of immunizations and folate during pregnancy is found to possibly prevent cerebral palsy in the child.



Tina

Andrew Brereton asked:


Cerebral palsy has many varied definitions, which have probably confused parents with their ambiguity, lack of clarity and complexity. I know when I first came across the term as a parent; I was confused by the varying definitions. The medical world seems particularly good at generating technical explanations of this sort; - explanations, which precisely because of the embedded technical jargon, parents find inaccessible and worrisome. Let’s examine some of the explanations, all from professionals, which have been passed to us by parents. You will note in the following definitions that the word ‘brain’ is mentioned only once and that is in the form of brain ‘abnormality: -’









· Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe any disorder of movement and posture that results from a non - progressive abnormality of the immature brain.

· A term for a non - progressive impairment of muscular function and weakness of the limbs.

· A loss or deficiency of motor control with involuntary spasms.

· A congenital disease, usually non-progressive and dating from infancy or early childhood, characterized by a major disorder of motor function.

· A condition with various combinations of impaired muscle tone and strength, coordination, and intelligence.









Consider these five definitions: - what strikes you about them? - They are all descriptions of the symptoms of cerebral palsy. Not once is the true cause of cerebral palsy even mentioned. (one even refers to CP as a disease; - Wow!)



What is the cause of cerebral palsy?

The brain is very delicate. Muscles can briefly utilise energy in the absence of oxygen, - the brain cannot. The brain is totally dependent upon its oxygen supply, which it obtains from the blood supply to the brain. A disruption in the blood supply to the brain of just 1 second, will see all the available oxygen in the environment consumed. A 6 second disruption produces unconsciousness. Within minutes, permanent damage is taking place.

The cause of cerebral palsy therefore needs no complicated definition. It is simple and easy to understand. The cause of cerebral palsy is brain–injury. It is that simple! The brain–injury may have occurred in one of many ways; - oxygen starvation at birth, alcohol abuse or abuse of other drugs, infection, jaundice, malnutrition, or one of many other causes. The important and simple thing to remember is that cerebral palsy is caused by brain–injury; in fact, cerebral palsy is an expression of brain–injury.

What do you mean by an expression of brain-injury?

When I speak of cerebral palsy being an expression of brain–injury I am leading you down a path, which will hopefully allow you to see your child’s problems in a new light. Let us take this a little deeper and say that cerebral palsy is also a symptom (or set of symptoms), of brain-injury; - it is the way in which your child’s brain–injury expresses itself. There are other expressions of brain–injury, some of which are used interchangeably with cerebral palsy! I put the idea to you that cerebral palsy is a symptom of brain–injury in exactly the same way that a cough may be a symptom of a chest infection. The only reason for the existence of the term ‘cerebral palsy’ is that it, itself is a convenient marker for specific groups of sub-symptoms; - yes sub-symptoms of brain–injury! These symptoms might include spasticity, athetosis, ataxia, epilepsy, poor visual, auditory and tactile development, impaired motor function, poor language development, difficulties of socialisation, learning difficulties, or many others.

Isn’t this just ‘nit -picking’ over terminology?

No! It is important that this situation is both clarified and simplified. I have misgivings over the continued use of the term ‘cerebral palsy,’ (as I have misgivings over the continued use of many other labels such as ‘autism,’ for example). These are terms, which merely describe the symptoms. I believe it is misleading and overly-complex. It is much easier to understand the concept and the possible ramifications of brain-injury, than it is cerebral palsy. Although for the moment, I will continue to use the term ‘cerebral palsy’ interchangeably with brain-injury, because that is the ‘currency’ in which you have been dealing, I feel it is important that you should be aware of the problem with terminology and how it has encouraged the development of a focus upon symptoms as opposed to the cause.

I believe that in the case of brain-injury the medical world has fallen into the trap of merely trying to offset the worst effects of the symptoms. In some cases, as in the case of epilepsy, controlling symptoms is a necessary step, but this should be done alongside attempts to treat the cause of those symptoms, as in some cases the focus on treating symptoms can have the effect of making them worse.

Consider this example: A child of one of my clients took her son Michael, to see an orthopaedic specialist. Michael’s brain–injury was very severe, he had what the medical establishment calls severe spastic quadriplegia, (again, this is a description of symptoms; - essentially all four limbs were very stiff). Because the excessive stiffness in Michael’s left leg was beginning to distort the limb and would have dislocated it, the orthopaedist decided to place a splint on the leg, to keep it fixed in a flexed position. The splint was left on all day, every day for six months and then Michael was taken back to see the orthopaedist to see how the limb was progressing. When the orthopaedist took the splint off Michael’s leg, he was horrified to find that the rigidity in the leg was no better; in fact, it was a great deal worse! Why was this do you think? Quite simply, it was because the treatment was focused on a symptom and not the cause, which was producing that symptom.

The signals, which Michael’s brain was sending to the leg, were having the effect of making the leg rigid. As far as the brain, in its injured, malfunctioning state was concerned; this was the desired state of affairs. When the orthopaedic consultant placed a splint on Michael’s leg, in order to try to relax it, this sent feedback to the brain that the leg was not in the state, which the brain desired (the brain was trying to keep the leg rigid). Therefore, the brain reinforced the signals, which were making Michael’s leg stiff, so that when the splint was eventually taken off, the stiffness was worse than before! I instituted a programme of vestibular stimulation in order to correct the chemical imbalance in Michael’s lower brainstem, which I thought was causing this problem and within a few weeks, Michael was a more relaxed, more comfortable little boy.

So a primary principle of treatment is, whilst we take note of the symptoms and where they are an imminent threat to the child, we need to see that they are treated, we also concentrate on the cause of those symptoms, the injured brain! The reason those symptoms exist is because brain–injury has prevented the normal developmental processes from taking place, in the brain and consequently in the body. Consequently, to achieve success, we must provide assistance to those normal developmental processes! That is precisely what neuro-cognitive therapy does!





















Aaron

Andrew Brereton asked:


Parents understandably want their child not only to be able to understand them, but to be able to communicate with them too. Interaction is fundamental to humanity, - in a way I think it defines who and what we are. We are the only species which uses the symbolism of language and when a human being cannot, it causes immense distress. So why does the language and communication development of children with cerebral palsy so often fail? Let’s examine some of the major reasons.

(1). Many difficulties with the development of language and communication begin very early on, when the parents bring the child home from hospital after birth. The parents being so weighed down by the worry and the crippling stress of having to cope with their child’s unexpected problems and reeling from the shock of being informed that their child has this problem known as ‘cerebral palsy,’ do not then interact with their child as they would have done had he been an uninjured baby. They may miss the communicative signals given out by the child and may not supply baby with input appropriate to the development of language. This is no fault of the parents, who are invariably doing a heroic job in caring for their baby’s needs and helping him to survive despite sometimes overwhelming difficulties; - it is merely a set of circumstances produced by the extremely stressful situation in which the parents find themselves.

So, having missed the early communicative opportunities provided by normal parent – child interactions, baby’s language and communicative skills fail to develop. Instead, baby sometimes completely fails to develop a communicative understanding with Mum and Dad, with the consequence that an understanding of language fails to develop. In the absence of an understanding of language, the child also fails to produce language. In other cases, where some appropriate but incomplete interaction has taken place between parents and baby, a partial understanding of language develops, with little or no production of language.





Another reason for the failure of language to develop is because the child is experiencing sensory distortions. The brain injury which produces what we understand as cerebral palsy can adversely affect the functioning of several structures within the brain, which are responsible for the processing of incoming sensory information from the environment. Obviously we all know that successful language development is dependent upon successful auditory development, quite simply if the child’s ability to process sound is poor, then his language development will be poor. - If his ability to process sounds is non – existent, his language development is likely to be non existent. It is quite simply a matter of successful sensory reception leading to successful motor output (language is an output skill after all). - In other words it is a sensory – motor loop, the successful development of the motor part of the loop being dependent upon the successful development of the sensory part of the loop. So if we have a child who hears nothing, we are likely to face NINO situation (Nothing in – nothing out), or if we have a child who is experiencing sensory distrotions, whose hearing is hypersensitive, or hyposensitive, or who is experiencing difficulties in regulating his auditory attention, we could well be facing a CICO situation, (Chaos in, - chaos out).





The third factor which will affect language development is direct injury to the left hemisphere of the cortex, around the regions known as Wernicke’s area (responsible for our ability to understand language) and Broca’s area, (responsible for our ability to produce language). The connotations for injury in these areas is obvious and does not need to be discussed in depth here.





When a child suffers a brain injury, invariably the ability of his brain to process information is slowed down. As a consequence he may simply not be able to process the content of meaning of of interaction quickly enough and if he does, he might be unable to respond quickly enough. This can be very frustrating for a child who is desperately attempting to interact as he quite simply keeps missing his turn and as a consequence, in frustration he may simply stop trying.





The question is, what can we do to assist the language development of the child with cerebral palsy, or other types of brain dysfunction, such as autism, dyspraxia, learning difficulties and specific language impairment?

What we do is to treat these four major factors sequentially.

First of all, we take parents and their child back to the patterns of initial interaction, which they have possibly missed. We teach parents to look for communicative signals given by their child and we teach them how to respond to those signals in order to give encouragement to their child to repeat them and to further expand them. Very often, these simple procedures can ‘kick start’ language development and we can then guide the child through the next stages.

Secondly we address any sensory distortions the child might be experiencing. This might mean the construction of an ‘adapted developmental environment’ as a temporary measure in order that we might train the parts of the brain which are responsible for sensory processing to ‘re-tune’ their activity to a more normal level. Again this can often provide a boost to language development.

The third problem, which involves direct injury to the areas of the brain involved with language comprehension and production can be more problematic, but is certainly not hopeless. The reason these areas of the brain are not functioning correctly is the fact that out of the millions of neural networks involved with these functions have lost cells due to injury. Therefore individual networks are operating without their full complement of brain cells. The effect of this is that they operate less efficiently and language comprehension and production is constrained. We can however use stimulatory techniques to train these networks to operate more efficiently and can utilise the concept of sprouting (dendrites forming new connections, thereby enhancing neural network funtion), and the concept of neurogenesis (the production of new brain cells), in order to encourage neural networks to recruit new cells.

The final problem, the one of slower speed of processing is perhaps the most easily addressed. Quite simply, children must be given more time to process information, more time to plan a response and more time to respond. In this way they will not miss their turn in an interaction and will not withdraw into themselves in frustration at their failure.

If your child has issues with language and communication, or indeed if you are an adult who has suffered a brain injury and you are interested in Snowdrop’s approach to treating language and communication difficulties, go to our website at http://www.snowdrop.cc where you will find our contact details.



Suzanne

Danny Burle asked:


Every parent should know the signs of cerebral palsy. Of course, not every child will have the condition. Those who do also cannot be cured of the disorder. Detecting the condition however, could lead to early therapy and treatment. Having the condition treated early can help improve a child’s ability to cope with life’s challenges.

Waiting for Signs

Cerebral palsy signs aren’t the same for every child. This is because there are various types of the disorder. The signs and symptoms also therefore tend to differ. The time when the first visible signs appear also varies per individual. Some infants may show signs in the first few weeks or months of birth. There are others however, who may only show indications of the disorder after a couple of years. Whether the signs appear early or late, one thing is certain, parents are often the first ones to notice them. It is therefore crucial that parents be vigilant and observant.

Developmental Signs

There are many possible signs of cerebral palsy. The most telling signs however are delays in the natural motor progress of the child. This means that a child with cerebral palsy may not be able to walk, crawl, grasp, sit or smile on the ages which he normally should. Be careful though. Not every delayed child has cerebral palsy. That is why observations of motor abilities are always paired with other diagnostic factors.

In general, there are specific motors skills that develop on certain months after birth. From 3-6 months, a child should gradually be able to gain control of its neck. He will also learn to crawl and sit with some assistance. By the age of 1, a child will begin to stand on his own, walk with some help and grasp objects with his hands. By the age of two, a child should be able to walk by himself, pick toys, pull and push and seat himself.

A child who is unable to accomplish these developmental tasks may be showing signs of cerebral palsy. Add to this the appearance of other possible signs and symptoms such as scissors gait, tremors, drooling, lack of movement coordination and lack of balance.

Muscle Tone

Aside from developmental clues, a child’s muscle tone should also be checked. A baby with the disorder could have very soft or floppy muscles or very rigid ones. It is possible that babies may initially have floppy muscles that become rigid. If you are not sure about the right feel of infant muscle tone, you have to ask your child’s pediatrician.

Reflexes

Doctors also check reflexes aside from muscle tone. There are certain primitive reflexes that should only be present in infants. Their presence in older babies and children could be signs of cerebral palsy. One common example is the Moro reflex. A baby on its back with the legs tilted up would raise its arms in a seeming embrace. This reflex disappears after six months or so. Those who retain this reflex should be checked further for cerebral palsy.

There is no reason to believe that you should watch for signs of cerebral palsy. Your child may never have the condition at all. It still pays however, to be extra watchful and prepared for any eventualities.



Cynthia