A 21-year-old member asked:
How is cerebral palsy diagnosed?
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 47 years experience
Physical exam: Since infants do little more than feed & cuddle we must wait until they are a little older to begin showing abnormalities of muscle tone & difficulty acheiving motor skills before CP is suspected. I have suspected this as early as 6 months but it is often around a year before the features are evident enough to make the dx.Workup may look into look alike issues.
6.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. George Gantsoudesanswered
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery 18 years experience
Physical exam: The best way to initially diagnose cerebral palsy is with a thorough history and physical exam. If needed, a brain imaging study can help detail affected areas of the brain.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. William Singeranswered
Pediatric Neurology 52 years experience
Examination findings: There is no specific diagnostic test for cerebral palsy. The diagnosis is made on the basis of the findings on examination including abnormalities of muscle tone, limitation of movement at joints, and abnormality of reflexes. There may be developmental delay, speech problems and visual abnormalities accompanying the motor abnormanlities.
2.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
A 37-year-old member asked:
What exactly is cerebral palsy? How is it diagnosed?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 47 years experience
Not Dx by lab tests: Cerebral palsy is a disorder of movement and posture related to a static brain injury. It is diagnosed clinically by physical findings.There are no "lab tests" for CP although many CP patients have other issues that require testing and treatment.
3.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
What is cerebral palsy?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 47 years experience
Depends: CP is a disorder of movement or posture related to brain injury that occurred at some point from pregnancy until the third birthday. It can be associated with many other related problems depending on the expent. Each case is somewhat unique ; most are mild and improve with developmental therapy like P.T.Referral to a developmental center is appropriate..
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Sep 28, 2016
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