| The First Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy | | | | embracing gesture. The Moro reflex occurring after 6 |
| The term diagnosis comes from two greek words: | | | | months of age could indicate cerebral palsy. |
| dia, meaning across and gnosis, meaning to know. | | | | Cerebral Palsy and Hand Preference |
| Greeks defined the word as understanding or learning | | | | Doctors often quiz mothers of babies with potential |
| what is happening across a subject or object. More | | | | cerebral palsy about their child's hand preference. |
| easily defined, diagnosis means to detect, learn or | | | | Most children don't have any left or right hand |
| identify the nature of a problem. | | | | preference until they reach 12 months old. Babies |
| When a child has cerebral palsy, a parent usually | | | | with cerebral palsy often show hand preference as |
| makes the first diagnosis of the disorder. They | | | | young as 6 months old. Spastic hemiplegia, one form |
| detect their child is abnormally floppy or rigid. They | | | | of cerebral palsy, causes one side of the body to be |
| identify differences in their child from other children. | | | | stronger than the other. Early hand preference is |
| Parents learn about developmental milestones their | | | | often a symptom of that form of the disorder. |
| children should be achieving and recognize a delay in | | | | CT Scans EEG and MRI Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy |
| doing so. | | | | CT is short for the words computed tomography, an |
| Why Aren't Babies Diagnosed With Cerebral Palsy | | | | x-ray imaging technique that uses computers to |
| When They Are Born? | | | | create a picture of the brain. Brain malformation, |
| Cerebral Palsy is difficult to diagnose at birth. Since it's | | | | cysts and underdevelopment are usually visible on a |
| not a genetic disease there is no way to check a | | | | CT scan. By studying CT scans, doctors can |
| baby's blood to see if they are carriers. Cerebral | | | | determine how severe a child might be brain |
| Palsy is a term describing a group of disorders caused | | | | damaged. The amount of brain damage helps |
| by brain damage. Brain damage is almost | | | | determine how severely a child will be affected by |
| undetectable in newborns unless it's severe. | | | | the symptoms of cerebral palsy. |
| Symptoms in infants such as abnormal floppiness or | | | | MRI is short for magnetic resonance imaging, a brain |
| rigidity can lead a doctor to diagnose cerebral palsy. | | | | imaging technique using radio waves and magnetic |
| However, these symptoms aren't usually present at | | | | fields to create a picture of the brain. MRIs can look |
| birth. | | | | closer to the bone for abnormalities than CT scans. |
| How Do Doctors Diagnose Cerebral Palsy? | | | | Electroencephalogram, or EEG for short, records |
| Doctors are usually alerted by concerned parents | | | | electrical currents in the brain with special patches |
| about suspected problems. The doctor will ask | | | | attached to the scalp. It's used to help detect seizure |
| detailed questions about pre-natal care, problems with | | | | disorders and unusual electrical activity in the brain. |
| pregnancy, a mother's heath while pregnancy, | | | | Diagnosis with Vision, Hearing and Intelligence Tests |
| pre-maturity and the heath of the child since birth. | | | | Doctors will often bring in other heath professionals |
| The doctor will perform a full physical exam. Once | | | | to help determine if other conditions related to |
| the doctor examines the child for general health | | | | cerebral palsy are present. Ophthalmologists test a |
| issues, they begin tests to help determine potential | | | | child for vision problems or weakness in the ocular |
| disability. Since cerebral palsy is a non-progressive | | | | muscles. Doctors specializing in hearing problems test |
| disorder, the symptoms a child initially displays will | | | | for deficiencies in auditory ranges. Some doctors |
| usually determine the severity they will endure for a | | | | administer intelligence tests to try and find mental |
| lifetime. | | | | impairment but they tend to be useful only when a |
| Diagnosis by Reflex Testing | | | | child is older than the age of 4. Orthopedic doctors |
| After speaking with parents about a child's | | | | can be consulted for gait analysis. Certain forms of |
| development, a doctor will check for excessive | | | | cerebral palsy result in a wide stance and an |
| muscle tone and abnormal posture. The doctor also | | | | unbalanced walk. |
| tests a child's reflexes. Cerebral palsy children often | | | | Early diagnosis is key in helping children lessen the |
| retain some reflexes only known in infants under the | | | | effects of cerebral palsy. Although it's hard for a |
| age of 6 months. One of those reflexes is called the | | | | parent to accept something might be wrong with |
| Moro Reflex. It occurs when a baby under six | | | | their child, they should consult a doctor at the first |
| months old is held in its back with its feet raised | | | | sign of developmental delay. |
| above its head. The baby reflexively reaches up in an | | | | |