Symptoms, diagnosis and causes of cerebral palsy

Consultation and assessment

Treatments

Botulinum toxin (Botox)

Submit a request for further information, a quotation or indicative cost. Your enquiry will be forwarded to up to 3 private healthcare providers. They will respond directly with further information.

Get a quote for cerebral palsy treatment >

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder which affects the musculature of body, resulting in uncoordinated muscle movements and difficulty in maintaining body posture. Cerebral palsy may be present since birth or acquired a few months after birth and its clinical signs generally appear before the age of three years.

Incidence, age and sex

Cerebral palsy is an infrequent neurological disorder which affects children, mainly infants. No gender bias has yet been documented.

Signs and symptoms

The clinical features of cerebral palsy may appear during the first year of life or at the most by three years of age. This disorder is characterised by lack of muscle coordination coupled with stiffness of the muscles which is usually evident by delayed milestones in the affected child. Individuals with cerebral palsy have a typical scissored gait with dragging of one foot. Some individuals may walk on toes. Other features include difficulty in performing tasks like writing or craft work which involve fine motor coordination and speech problems. In severe cases, learning difficulties or impairment of mental faculties may be encountered. Cerebral palsy is not a hereditary disease and does not pass on from generation to generation. It is a clinical diagnosis and does not need any investigations for confirmation.

Causes and prevention

Cerebral palsy is usually present since birth or is acquired in the early months of life by brain damage in instances of head trauma. It may also develop after brain infections like encephalitis or meningitis. Such instances may damage the part of the brain which controls the movements of muscles.