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Symptoms of cerebral palsy can usually be seen within the first few years of a person’s life. Cerebral palsy is the name given to several chronic non-progressive conditions that affect a person’s motor, sensory, and other central nervous system functions. The exact causes of cerebral palsy are not always known. Cerebral palsy can be the result of abnormal brain development, infections, complications during pregnancy or child birth, or trauma.
Symptoms of cerebral palsy may be observable at the time of birth and should be carefully evaluated, especially when certain risk factors have been present during pregnancy or child birth. Risk factors for cerebral palsy during pregnancy can include prenatal infections, maternal bleeding and proteinuria, Rh incompatibility, and maternal hyperthyroidism, mental retardation, or seizures.
There are also many birth situations that may indicate the symptoms of cerebral palsy. These possible symptoms of cerebral palsy include:
These factors do not necessarily mean that a newborn has cerebral palsy, though these are potential indicators of the condition.
Infants who have difficulty feeding (including sucking and swallowing) or have trouble breathing may be presenting early symptoms of cerebral palsy. Low muscle tone (hypotonia) consistently or for a period of time can be another early sign of cerebral palsy. Symptoms of cerebral palsy may include the persistence or exaggeration of infantile reflexes that would otherwise disappear by age three to five months. Infants also master certain developmental tasks- including head control, rolling over, sitting, crawling, and walking- within a certain age range. Symptoms of cerebral palsy may include delays in reaching developmental milestones.
The symptoms of cerebral palsy can also be particular to the type of cerebral palsy that a person has. Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common form of this condition. Early symptoms of cerebral palsy spastic patients may include involuntary muscle contraction reflexes that occur while awake or asleep. Patients with athetoid type cerebral palsy may display involuntary facial, trunk or extremity movements that can make feeding and talking difficult. These symptoms of cerebral palsy tend to occur during wakefulness and get exaggerated at times of heightened emotion. Symptoms of cerebral palsy that are particular to the ataxic cerebral palsy sub type can include in-coordination, trouble steadying the limbs, and aberrant eye movements.
In some cases, a person may begin to present the symptoms of cerebral palsy after a situation involving medical negligence or intentional actions on behalf of another individual.
If you or a loved one has developed the symptoms of cerebral palsy, you may wish to contact a cerebral palsy attorney to discover your legal rights and options.
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