Cerebral Palsy Warning Signs

New York Cerebral Palsy Lawyers
Describing Warning Signs of the Condition

While cerebral palsy that occurs as a result of a mistake made during the birthing process is a result of a brain injury inflicted at birth, that does not mean that the signs of cerebral palsy will occur immediately. In fact, it can take months or even a few years for the symptoms of cerebral palsy to become noticeable to parents.

While there is no hard-and-fast equation to determine if a child is developing at a slower rate than normal, there are warning signs that will appear eventually. Regardless of the amount of time that passes between a birth injury and the appearance of cerebral palsy, parents who notice it should seek the help of New York cerebral palsy lawyers. In the meantime, below is a brief overview of warning signs for this condition in a child.

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are those skills that describe large movements that tend to incorporate both the legs and the arms. Children who are not developing these skills properly will have trouble with such tasks as walking, riding a bicycle, running or doing anything athletic and that which requires some degree of coordination and balance.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are those skills that describe movements that require dexterity with the hands, fingers or arms. Children with cerebral palsy may display a lack of development in these skills, and examples of their use include handling toys properly, using pencils or crayons, tying shoelaces or other basic tasks that children without cerebral palsy will improve upon gradually before mastering.

General Abnormalities

Some warning signs of cerebral palsy do not necessarily fit into a specific category despite the fact that they're relatively common. Examples of these abnormalities include:

• Persistent drooling
• Uncontrolled jerking movements of the arms, legs or torso
• Inability to sit upright
• Loss of control of the tongue
• Inability to suck
• Weakness in muscles

Most children should have little problem developing any of these skills that are lacking in cerebral palsy patients, and the other abnormalities listed will become apparent over time.

How New York Cerebral Palsy Lawyers Can Help

Overall, few bonds exist that are stronger or more instinctive than that which exists between parents and a child. This basically means that parents should trust their instincts if they think that something is wrong and should seek medical help. If the child suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of something that went wrong during the child's delivery, contact the New York cerebral palsy lawyers at Fitzgerald & Fitzgerald as soon as possible to schedule a free initial consultation.