The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary depending on the type and severity of the brain injury.
Early symptoms are the child not sitting independently, crawling, or walking.
Problems in the initial 6 months
include:
- Difficulties in breastfeeding
- Frequent regurgitation of feeds
- Excessive irritability
- Poor sleep
- Abnormal stiffness
- Looseness of the body.
- The child is not able to focus on or follow toys or faces.
In older children
Important signs:
- Trouble holding up head when picked up
- Stretching of back and neck while being held, and crossing and stiffening of legs when picked up (scissoring) because of tight muscles noticed while massaging the baby or changing diapers)
- Twisting of hand and leg while the child is trying to do something.
- Excessive drooling of saliva
- Speech delay or dysfluent speech
- Abnormal eye position
