Cerebal Palsey Guide

Before a conclusion can be reached that the patient does indeed have cerebral palsey, a doctor has to first run some tests or examination on a patient. This conclusion is known as the cerebral palsy diagnosis. It is typical for a doctor to confirm the existence of cerebral palsey in an infant by doing the following:

• Testing motor skills

This is done by looking at the infant’s preference for the use of its hands. The test works best for infants during their first 12 months from birth. The test basically involves holding an object in front and to the side of the infant so that it can reach for the object. Normally, infants do not display tendencies to use either their right or left hand to reach for object. However if the infant develops a preference for the use of one side of its hands (showing that one side of the body is possibly stronger than the other), then a case of spastic hemiplegia could be suspect.

• Diagnostic tests to eliminate the possibility of other disorders

Doctors examine the muscle tone of the infant. Infants with cerebral palsey can have unnaturally soft, relaxed or floppy muscle tone (hypotonia) or stiff and rigid muscle tone (hypertonia). In some cases, infants with cerebral palsey can have hypotonia in the first 2-3 months then later develop hypertonia.

Presence of cerebral palsey can be diagnosed with the help of the Moro reflex test. The test works best on infants during the first 6 months after birth. In this test, the infant is held on its back and tilted so that its legs are above its head. Their automatic response is to extend their arms in a gesture that resembles an embrace. Infants with cerebral palsey retain this reflex for abnormally long period.

• Other tests

As part of the cerebral palsy diagnosis tests, it is common for doctors to look for other cerebal palsey symptoms. These may include examining for signs of seizures, mental impairment, vision or hearing problems. For tests of mental impairment, it is important to note that the results of such a test are potentially misleading. There is a risk of underestimating the intelligence of a child due to related factors. For example, a child with movement, sensation or speech problems from cerebral palsey would have difficulty to perform well on intelligence tests.

You may also be interested in:

• Cerebral Palsy Prognosis
• How Do You Prevent Cerebral Palsy?
• Cerebral Palsy Surgery
• Medication for Cerebral Palsey
• Cerebral Palsey Treatment
• Complications of Cerebral Palsey
• Cerebral Palsy Symptoms And Signs
• Risk Factors For Cerebral Palsey
• Cerebral Palsey Overview

Tags: cerebral palsey | Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis | diagnosing cerebral palsy | diagnosis of cerebral palsy

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