For any parent, learning that your child has cerebral palsy can be difficult to comprehend. You never want to think that your child will suffer from potential complications and experience challenging aspects of life before they even have a chance to live it.

However, while many babies suffer from some form of cerebral palsy, there are often times where it takes a few years for symptoms to develop. It’s important for parents to recognize some of the early signs of cerebral palsy so you can better understand medical and legal options.

What to Look For

There are certain milestones (both mentally and physically) that your child should be hitting at certain ages. While missing those milestones by a few months may not be an immediate sign of concern, you want to take into account the potential problems that may arise down the road. Here are some age specific things you want to keep an eye on to help detect potential issues.

  • Under 6 Months of Age: Some of the early signs of potential problems can include your baby being unable to hold up his or her head when picked up. They may have certain parts of their body that feel stiff or there is no muscle tone. The baby may also overextend his or her neck or back when picked up and held.
  • After 6 Months of Age: You’ll want to watch your baby carefully as this is the time he or she should start to roll over and bring their hands to their mouth. If they’re experiencing from CP, they may have trouble doing both of these, as well as bringing their hands together. They may also reach out with just one hand and keep their other hand balled into a fist.
  • After 10 Months of Age: Your baby may exhibit signs such as crawling in an abnormal or lopsided manner. This can include pushing with his or her left hand and right leg, but the right hand and left leg are dragging. They may scoot or hop on their buttocks or knees rather than crawling. It may also be a problematic sign if your baby cannot stand, even when they have some support.

Our Chicago birth injury lawyers are here to help you. Trust in Beam Legal Team to be your advocates during a difficult time. We’ll work to prove medical negligence and show that you deserve justice for the actions performed by a doctor that led to your baby suffering.

Call us at (866) 404-5221 today and discuss your rights.

Categories: Cerebral Palsy,