Early Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis Can Be Life-Changing
Cerebral palsy is characteristically diagnosed 18 months after a kid is born because symbols and symptoms aren’t instantly understandable.
Cerebral palsy Diagnosis can be hard. Often, parents observe a little wrong before doctors or nurses do. Sometimes, it’s the other way around. Either way, it takes patience and acceptance to deal with it.
How Soon Can a Diagnosis Be Made?
The signs of a mild case of cerebral palsy often go unseen until the kid reaches 3 to 5 years of age. Moderate to harsh cases are typically diagnosed by the age of two. The type of cerebral palsy a child has may also influence how soon a diagnosis can be made.
Observational Diagnosis
Parents generally primarily notice a problem when their baby isn’t meeting developmental milestones, like rolling over or sitting up. If physicians suppose cerebral palsy, they will examine the kid’s development through regular appointments until they can make an exact diagnosis.
Diagnosing cerebral palsy isn’t a clear-cut procedure. It requires watchful monitoring in the initial months of growth. Kids are normally screened intermittently for developmental disabilities at 9, 18, and 24 months.
Pediatricians look for delays in key areas of motor function, such as:
- Holding his/her head up
- Rolling over
- Visual alertness
- Sitting
- Crawling
- Walking
- Picking up tiny stuff
Doctors judge growth by evaluating the kid’s posture, reflexes, and muscle tone.
Comparing the kid’s motor skills to regular developmental milestones helps doctors make a diagnosis.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests may be used if a physician thinks a kid has cerebral palsy. There are a small number of imaging technologies that can reveal the level of a kid’s condition.
These tests used on kids who may have cerebral palsy include:
1. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
2. Computed tomography (CT)
3. Cranial ultrasound
4. Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Other Tests for Kids with CP
Doctors should always perform an absolute assessment of their patients. It’s important to have the whole photo so the kid can get efficient treatment and care.
Some of these tests include:
- Hearing tests
- Vision tests
- Speech tests
- Intellectual tests
Doctors may also need blood tests to rule out inherited conditions that affect motor function in children who might have cerebral palsy.
