Question
What are the symptoms of cerebral palsy in a two-month-old baby?
Answer
A newborn baby rarely cries, struggles with breastfeeding, often clenches their fists, has a vacant gaze, doesn’t understand when held, constantly tilts their head back, doesn’t smile, and doesn’t follow objects with their eyes. After a hospital examination, the doctor diagnosed the baby with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy usually develops before birth or in infancy and common causes include birth injuries, neonatal jaundice, and preterm birth. The main symptoms include increased muscle tone, difficulty with abduction, muscle rigidity, spasms, and joints maintaining a flexed posture. Some patients may also experience language development and articulation disorders as well as strabismus. Approximately 1/3 of patients have varying degrees of seizures and intellectual disabilities. Cerebral palsy can lead to delayed motor development, so the baby, who is already three months old, is still not very active and does not crawl.