If a baby or toddler has problems learning to roll over, sit, crawl or walk, parents should be concerned and see their pediatrician. Disturbances in motor control and ability could mean cerebral palsy.
CP is diagnosed mainly by evaluating how a baby or young child moves. This includes:
- muscle tone
- reflexes
- hand preference (while most babies do not develop a hand preference until at least 12 months of age, some babies with cerebral palsy do so before six months of age)
- persistence of certain reflexes, called primitive reflexes, that are normal in younger infants, but generally disappear by 6 to 12 months of age
The doctor also may suggest brain imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT scan) or ultrasound.
About half of babies who are diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy appear to outgrow their symptoms.
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