CEREBRAL PALSY SYMPTOMS

Medical practitioners spend a long time considering what appear to be cerebral palsy symptoms prior to making a positive diagnosis because there are a number of other illnesses that mimic this condition. Because of the long term consequences and the impact upon the individual and family members doctors make sure that they do not misdiagnose the disorder. Some of the illnesses that may mimic this condition are brain tumours, neuromotor developmental delays, central nervous system dysfunction, motor disability and static encephalopathy.

Cerebral palsy symptoms exhibited by very young infants can include feeding difficulties, high pitched crying, shaking limbs, unusual tiredness, inexplicable irritability, abnormal posture with difficulties standing or sitting, peculiar reflex responses, fist clenching, uncoordinated movements, changes in muscle tone from flaccid to stiff, episodes of seisures, fluttering eyes and staring into space for long periods of time.

Children aged six months or older usually exhibit more pronounced cerebral palsy symptoms which may worsen as time passes resulting in an inability to sit up, crawl, stand, walk and talk normally. First time parents often have difficulty noticing these problems especially when their child is still young however parents who have had other children usually notice these problems without difficulty.

There are four categories of this condition which are called spastic, athetoid, ataxic and mixed cerebral palsy and diagnosis of type depends on the symptoms exhibited by the affected individual. Further classification of the disorder splits it into five sub categories being monoplegia, diplegia, triplegia, quadplegia and hemiplegia which is based on the number of limbs most affected.

The precise cause of this condition remains unknown in the vast majority of cases where it appears to be a naturally occurring phenomena however a small percentage of infants are injured just before, during or immediately after birth and many of these injuries are as a result of medical negligence. If you child has been injured as a result of medical negligence it may be possible to take action for a claim for compensation against a medical practitioner or against a Healthcare Authority. Legal aid is available for children with this condition and it is almost always granted by the Legal Services Commission with no financial contribution from the parents. The actual applicant for Legal Aid is the child and it is only the child’s income and assets that are taken into consideration. A child with wealthy parents will still be granted Legal Aid with a nil contribution.

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