| Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects infants and | | | | Other signs that could prove to be more of a factor |
| children during the first few years of their life. It can | | | | in determining if your child has cerebral palsy include |
| be mild and hardly noticeable in some cases, while in | | | | hypotonia, which is a decrease in muscle tone and |
| other cases the child can be completely disabled. It | | | | hypertonia, an increase in muscle tone. Other signs to |
| can prevent them from growing and developing at a | | | | be concerned with are involuntary movements, body |
| normal rate. Cerebral palsy is the result of brain | | | | shakes and tremors along with unusual posture that |
| damage that can be caused before or after birth. It | | | | causes the child to favor one side more than the |
| can be the result of a brain defect, a lesion on the | | | | other. |
| brain, trauma or infection. Knowing the signs of | | | | It's a difficult thing to find out your child has cerebral |
| cerebral palsy can help you identify and come to | | | | palsy because it's not curable, but fortunately there |
| terms with the condition. | | | | are treatments. The sooner you discover that your |
| Some forms of juvenile cerebral palsy or CP is found | | | | child has this condition, the sooner you can begin |
| in every two or three children out of every one | | | | treatments that will help them in the future. If you |
| thousand born in the United States. That's an | | | | notice something unusual but you're not sure if it's |
| astonishing figure. The good news is, many of these | | | | important, talk to your child's doctor to see what |
| cases are mild enough that the patient can move on | | | | they think and if it's something they believe you |
| and live a fairly normally life. The earlier they receive | | | | should monitor more closely. |
| treatment for this condition the better it will be | | | | If it's believed that your child may have cerebral |
| because it will help them adjust and learn how to live | | | | palsy, your doctor will ask you a series of questions |
| with CP easier. That's why knowing the signs of | | | | that will help them determine if this could be the |
| cerebral palsy can be extremely beneficial. | | | | problem and if so, to what degree your child may be |
| Cerebral palsy symptoms include having trouble | | | | affected. It's important for you to monitor your child |
| developing simple motor skills such as sitting up, | | | | carefully and write down what you notice that would |
| walking, holding things and so forth. Now, this doesn't | | | | be considered unusual, when these signs take place |
| mean that if your child can't sit up when they are | | | | and how often they occur. |
| four months old but your neighbor's child did, that | | | | Starting up a journal is the easiest way to record this |
| they have CP. All children develop at different rates | | | | information. The questions will be followed up with a |
| and what is normal for one will not be normal for | | | | variety of test and they will discuss the results with |
| another. This is true even for different children in the | | | | you. Knowing the signs of cerebral palsy can help you |
| same family. Therefore, you need to not jump to | | | | determine if your child is developing at a healthy |
| conclusion but simply be alert. | | | | normal rate. |