Cerebral palsy

Health Library

Find

Español

2	4	5	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z

Overview	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention

Cerebral palsy

Alternative Names

Spastic paralysis; Paralysis - spastic

Symptoms

Seizures
Muscle contractions
Difficulty sucking or feeding
Irregular breathing
Delayed development of motor skills, such as reaching, sitting, rolling, crawling, walking, and so on
Motormental retardation
Mental retardation
Speech problems (dysarthria)
Visual problems
Hearing problems
Spasticity
Joint contractures that slowly get worse
Limited range of motion
Peg teeth

Exams and Tests

In many cases, a doctor's examination indicates delayed development of motor skills. Infantile reflexes (such as sucking and startle) may persist past the age where they usually disappear. Muscle tremor or spasticity may be evident, with a tendency of infants to tuck their arms in toward their sides, scissors movements of the legs, or other abnormal movements.

Various laboratory tests may be performed to eliminate nutritional or other causes of the symptoms.

MRI of the head demonstrates structural or congenital abnormalities
CT scan of the head demonstrates structural or congenital abnormalities
Hearing screen (to determine auditory status)
Visual testing (to determine visual status)
EEG
Blood tests to exclude metabolic or hereditary conditions


Central nervous system

Review Date: 8/7/2006
Reviewed By: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, NeuroscienceInstitute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission. URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2005 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.