Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of cerebral palsy can vary greatly from person to person. Cerebral palsy can affect the whole body, or it might be limited primarily to one or two limbs, or one side of the body. Generally, signs and symptoms include problems with movement and coordination, speech and eating, development, and other problems.

Movement and coordination

• Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes (spasticity), the most common movement disorder
• Variations in muscle tone, such as being either too stiff or too floppy
• Stiff muscles with normal reflexes (rigidity)
• Lack of balance and muscle coordination (ataxia)
• Tremors or jerky involuntary movements
• Slow, writhing movements
• Favoring one side of the body, such as only reaching with one hand or dragging a leg while crawling
• Difficulty walking, such as walking on toes, a crouched gait, a scissors-like gait with knees crossing, a wide gait or an asymmetrical gait
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as buttoning clothes or picking up utensils

Speech and eating

• Delays in speech development
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty with sucking, chewing or eating
• Excessive drooling or problems with swallowing

Development

• Delays in reaching motor skills milestones, such as sitting up or crawling
• Learning difficulties
• Intellectual disabilities
• Delayed growth, resulting in smaller size than would be expected

Other problems

Damage to the brain can contribute to other neurological problems, such as:

• Seizures (epilepsy)
• Difficulty hearing
• Problems with vision and abnormal eye movements
• Abnormal touch or pain sensations
• Bladder and bowel problems, including constipation and urinary incontinence
• Mental health conditions, such as emotional disorders and behavioral problems

The brain disorder causing cerebral palsy doesn't change with time, so the symptoms usually don't worsen with age. However, as the child gets older, some symptoms might become more or less apparent. And muscle shortening and muscle rigidity can worsen if not treated aggressively.

When to see a doctor

It's important to get a prompt diagnosis for a movement disorder or delays in your child's development. See your child's doctor if you have concerns about episodes of loss of awareness of surroundings or of unusual bodily movements or muscle tone, impaired coordination, swallowing difficulties, eye muscle imbalance, or other developmental issues.