According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cerebral palsy is a medical term for a group of conditions that affects balance, mobility and other motor skills. While the severity of the disease varies, most people who have cerebral palsy will need ongoing medical care.
Learn more about the prognosis if your child or loved one has cerebral palsy, which can result from a birth injury.
Symptom Awareness and Treatment
Because each person with CP has individualized symptoms, it can be difficult to detect this condition right away. Signs that arise in an infant younger than 6 months include stiffening legs and body when picked up as if he or she is pushing away from you. The baby may feel floppy or stiff in your arms.
Many parents notice an issue as their child gets older and does not meet milestones as expected. After six months, signs of CP may include reaching only with one hand, trouble bringing hands together or to the mouth, and inability to rollover. Individuals may also experience symptoms that affect cognitive abilities, hearing, speech, and vision. Others have spinal conditions such as scoliosis along with CP. Although CP has no cure, treatment focuses on reducing the impact of symptoms and improving quality of life.
If your child has cerebral palsy diagnosis or you suspect that he or she has symptoms of the condition, seek immediate medical care. Physical and occupational therapy along with other treatments can alleviate some effects of CP. You may not be told that one of the common causes of CP is medical error.
